Maryland Collaborative Law Association



Welcome to Maryland Collaborative Law Association, Inc.

 

What is Collaborative Family Law?

We are a group of lawyers for whom family law is a substantial portion of our professional lives. We believe collaborative law is a viable alternative among the various forms of resolving family disputes. MCLA, Inc. approves each member based on a membership application, provides the form of the Participation Agreement for use by its members, and provides training. The MCLA, Inc. holds regular business meetings, social events, and continuing education to promote a spirit of cooperation, knowledge, and trust among its members.   Collaborative Family Law is an alternative resolution mechanism for family law disputes. Collaborative Family Law encourages open, transparent, mature, and cooperative behaviors. The parties and their attorneys enter into a Participation Agreement, which defines the environment in which the parties and their counsel commit to reach efficient and mutually agreeable settlements, without court intervention. The product of the collaborative family law process is a Settlement Agreement and a Judgment of Divorce through an uncontested court hearing. In the traditional divorcing model, the children become pawns, and the attorneys become warriors for their client’s cause. Collaborative Law avoids this traditional model. The Participation Agreement requires the parties exchange information and develop strategies to resolve their disputes. A key component of the collaborative model is its transparency.

MCLA, Inc.
P. O. Box 3
Brooklandville, Maryland 21022-0003
Webmaster: Gregory C. Pickett