www.NextGenerationDivorce.

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Collaborate! Dont Litigate.

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
July 28, 2016
TO:Members of the Media
RE: Florida Legislature Passes Collaborative Divorce Bill
They call it Collaborative Divorce.Its apparently all the rage right now.Jason Batemans character spoke
these lines in the 2007 hit Juno, and now the practice isofficially becoming sanctioned inFlorida.
On March 4, 2016, the Florida legislature passed HB-967, the Collaborative Law Process Act, which
seeks to facilitate the out-of-court settlement of divorce, paternity, and other family law cases.Florida
follows 13 other states and the District of Columbia in passing a collaborative law bill.
When couples litigate child-related issues, they cease being parents first and instead become adversaries,
says Judge Catherine M. Catlin, a domestic relations judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in
Hillsborough County.Prior to being elected to the bench, Judge Catlin practiced as a family law
attorney.Even the most amicable of divorces can leave lasting scars if it ends up at trial.Rather than having
a stranger on the bench order what is to be done, spouses and parents are in the best position to resolve their
disputes and reach an outcome that both parties can accept.Collaborative practice is an excellent tool for
couples finding themselves heading to court.
Collaborative practice, also known as collaborative divorce, collaborative law, or the collaborative process,
is a unique form of dispute resolution in which the clients and their attorneys agree that all money, time, and
energy is spent on helping the parties reach an agreement rather than fighting in court.In fact, the parties
sign a contract, the Collaborative Participation Agreement, which states that the attorneys can only be used
to reach an out-of-court settlement and cannot be used to fight one another in divorce court battles.
The collaborative process creates a safe space for the clients and lets them know that we attorneys will not
engage in opposition research or pit-bull tactics, but rather we will do what we are good at: resolve
disputes, explains attorney Derek Lucas of Carrollwood.Mr. Lucas isco-chair of Next Generation Divorce
(NGD), Floridas largest collaborative practice group with professionals serving Greater Sarasota and
Tampa Bay.We are encouraged that our political leaders recognize the importance of having an option
available for families to avoid the painful and adversarial experience of litigation.Sometimes divorce is
unavoidable.Having a way to divorce without destroying the family is vital and we are happy to see that our
lawmakers understand this fact.
Collaborative practice also recognizes that divorce is not just a legal matter, but it is also a financial matter
and especially an emotional matter.That is why a neutral facilitator, generally with a mental health

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licensure, is retained in most cases to help families focus on the future and what is most import to them (i.e.,
their children) rather than argue over the fights of the past.A neutral financial professional, usually either a
financial planner or accountant, is also oftentimes utilized to help parties make better decisions for their
short and long-term financial futures.
Our group of collaborative professionals is ready, willing, able, and eager to help families across the
Tampa Bay and Greater Sarasota areas avoid the emotionally and financially destructive nature of litigation
and choose a better path forward for their family, asserts Marie-Eve Girard, an accountant from Tampa
andMr. Lucas fellow NGD co-chair.NGD is not a law firm, but it is a network of attorneys, mental health
professionals, and financial professionals dedicated to educating the public about the collaborative option.
The cost of divorce is much more than financial, elaborates Dr. Garin Vick, a psychologist out of
Brandon, NGD Board Member, and host of the Divorce Without Destruction podcast.The exposure of
children to ongoing conflict between their parents negatively impacts their psychological well-being more
than any other aspect of divorce.The collaborative divorce process is a healthier and more effective way to
dissolve a marriage.
The Collaborative Law Process Act is seen by local family law professionals as a way to boost the appeal of
the collaborative process.This action by the legislature helps ensure that a familys toughest moments can
remain private, says Tampa attorney Adam B. Cordover, Immediate Past President of Next Generation
Divorce and author of an upcoming American Bar Association book on Building A Collaborative Law
Practice.It creates a statutory privilege, similar to the attorney-client privilege, that, except in limited
circumstances, prevents communications and negotiations during the process from ever being used against a
spouse in court.
The bill is expected to be signed by Governor Rick Scott.The Florida Supreme Court will then develop
rules of procedure and rules of professional conduct governing collaborative law.
More information on collaborative family law practice can be obtained from Next Generation Divorces
website at http://NextGenerationDivorce.com.

Adam B. Cordover, Marie-Eve Girard, Derek Lucas, and Garin Vick are available to the media to answer questions about
collaborative divorce and the Collaborative Law Process Act.
Adam B. Cordover, Esq.
FAMILY DIPLOMACY:
A COLLABORATIVE LAW FIRM
412 East Madison Street, Suite 824
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 443-0615
adam@cordoverlaw.com
http://FamilyDiplomacy.com

Marie-Eve Girard, CPA/ABV

GIRARD & JOHNSON
FINANCIAL FORENSICS & CPA SERVICES
3030 N. Rocky Point Drive, Suite 150
Tampa, Florida 33607
(813) 930-5540
mgirard@girardjohnson.com
www.girardjohnson.com

Derek S. Lucas, Esq.

BOURLON & LUCAS LAW, PLLC
13920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 2
Tampa, FL 33618
(813) 868-1989
Derek@bourlonlucaslaw.com
http://bourlonlucaslaw.com

Garin D. Vick, Psy.D.

3314 Bay To Bay Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33629
(813) 689-2525
Drgvick@gmail.com
www.Drgvick.com

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