Collaborating through COVID-19
Collaborative Law is a method of resolving Family Law disputes in a discreet and dignified way through four-way meetings and is designed to avoid litigation. Usually such meetings take place by way of round table discussions with a pre-prepared agreed list of matters to discuss and work through together. Round table focused discussion is one of the main advantage points of the process as it allows matters to be progressed relatively swiftly without the need for protracted letter writing between Solicitors back and forth. Here at Pollock & McLean myself and our court assistant Victoria Raymond have the relevant qualifications to act in such cases.
Although the current risk of COVID-19, and the government guidelines surrounding it, makes it difficult to have face-to-face four-way Solicitor and Client meetings, like many others us Collaborative Lawyers have had to think out of the box and about how we can continue to offer this method as a way of resolving family law disputes. Both myself and Vicky Raymond have participated in four-way meetings via Video conference calling and it’s proving to be just just as effective and beneficial in helping our clients progress and resolve matters.
In this modern age the use of video conference calling means that we can all still theoretically be in the same ‘room’, see each other and communicate in real time but with the safety of clients being at home.
I know for the majority the past few months will have been extremely difficult and the prospect of not being able to progress a separation upsetting, but I’m delighted to advise our clients, and potential clients, that Pollock & McLean can still offer Collaborative Law as a way of resolving family law based disputes, despite the public health pandemic.’
Lynn L.McMurchie | Partner