What is Collaborative Law?

Collaborative law is a process of working to resolve matters amicably using a team approach.   In family law matters, professionals on the collaborative team, include two attorneys for each party, a collaborative coach and if needed, a financial professional. The collaborative coach and financial professionals are neutrals. These professionals have taken a collaborative law training course in additional to their professional training  in their field such as law, psychology and finance.  Some collaborative law professionals have also taken mediation training to enhance their skills. The parties involved agree to not litigate with the attorneys they hire.

Collaborative law meetings are held by Zoom or in person.  It is a private and a practical way to come to an amicable resolution. Collaborative law could be a much less expensive way to resolve a case compared to lengthy litigation. In Massachusetts, one does need to go to court is to get a Separation Agreement in a divorce case approved by a Probate and Family Court judge.

Attorney Smith is trained as a collaborative lawyer and has taken the
collaborative law training.

Attorney Smith is a Director on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, Inc. for a term which ends in March 2027.  Other Positions, Attorney Smith has held have been:

• From 2019 to 2023,  she was the Chair or Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, Inc.,  
• From January 2016 to September 2020, she was the Chair of the Charles River Practice Group of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, Inc..
  From January 2015 to December 2015, she was the Co-Chair of the Charles River Practice Group and
• From June 2011 to December 2014, she was the Co-chair of the Metro West Practice Group for the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, Inc.

In June 2024, Attorney Smith spoke on a panel on “The Dream Team, Helping with Transition Using the Collaborative Law Process” at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts 61st Annual Conference  in Boston, Massachusetts.

On May 13, 2022, Attorney Smith was on a panel Discussing Conflict, Culture and the Collaborative Process at the Roundtable for the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council.

On May 14, 2021, Attorney Smith presented at the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, Inc.’s Roundtable training on “Using Social Media to Address Bias and Diversity in the Collaborative Community” with Attorney Joy Piper.

On January 22, 2014, Attorney Smith was the Chair of the seminar and spoke on “Collaborative Family Law” at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts . 

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