In a Collaborative Divorce, the first person you hire will be your Collaborative attorney. Collaborative attorneys have the same credentials and licensing as any other attorney, but they have also had additional training and experience in the collaborative law process. Not all attorneys are trained in Collaborative Divorce, so make sure you start off with a trained, experienced Collaborative Divorce lawyer.
At a very minimum a Collaborative Divorce attorney needs to have attended at least a two-day “basic training”. This process is specifically designed for the resolution of conflicts. Without the training, an attorney will not understand how the process works and will hamper the overall process.
Also, a good Collaborative Divorce attorney regularly attends training to continually update his or her skills. Attorneys need to keep up with new ideas and techniques to serve their clients well.
Being a member of Collaborative Divorce Houston means that such Collaborative Divorce attorney has made a commitment to the practice of Collaborative Divorce, and is proud of what he or she does. Pride in one’s work is critical for this type of process.
Follow your instincts. You will know when you interview the attorney for your case, whether he or she is right for you. Chemistry and trust are the two most important ingredients in a strong attorney-client relationship. If the attorney seems like he or she is trying to “sell” you on his or her services that is probably the case. Look for a genuine person whom you feel you can develop rapport with, and that you feel will be honest and forthright with you.