SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA, April 4 — ​The IACP would like to congratulate the State of​ ​Tennessee for becoming the 18th​ state (plus the District of Columbia) to adopt the Uniform Collaborative Law Act. On April 1, 2019, the Tennessee Supreme Court announced that it had adopted new Rule 53 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Tennessee, which created a rule for Collaborative Family Law.

“As chair of the IACP Uniform Collaborative Law Advisory Task Force, I am thrilled to welcome Tennessee to the group of states that have adopted the UCLA. This bodes well for families and family practitioners in Tennessee who will be more inclined to use the Collaborative Process now that it has officially been recognized by the highest court in the state. Congratulations to the professionals who worked so hard to convince the Tennessee Supreme Court to adopt the Collaborative Law Rule,” Robert Merlin, Esq, a ​Florida Bar Board Certified Family Law Specialist and Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator said.

The Collaborative Rule establishes for family practitioners, the public and judges the requirements for a Collaborative Family Law matter in Tennessee. The enactment of uniform statutes and rules for Collaborative Practice create uniformity in Collaborative Practice between the states that have adopted the Uniform Collaborative Law Act, and thereby protect the public from exposure to processes that do not meet the standards of Collaborative Practice.

“Irwin Kuhn and the other Collaborative professionals have so much to be proud of. They worked tirelessly for years to convince the Tennessee Supreme Court to adopt a rule recognizing and regulating the Collaborative Process in family matters in Tennessee. What a great benefit to the families in Tennessee,” Merlin added.

For more information about the IACP, UCLA, Collaborative Practice and peaceful divorce resolution visit www.CollaborativePractice.com

Written by Shelby Timmins of Divorce Done Differently for Australian Family Lawyer April 2017

A relationship breakdown is undeniably difficult. It has been described by some as ‘the most emotionally and financially challenging time of their lives’ or ‘like walking around with no end in sight, no hope’.

After 18 years as a family lawyer, where much of my time was spent strategising about how to get one over my opponent, locking horns with colleagues who were similarly attempting to get one over me and only to be told as I stepped inside the Family or Federal Circuit Court, by an overworked Judge, ‘Sorry Mrs Timmins I have 20 matters in the list today. I don’t think we are going to get to your matter. I suggest you step outside and try to have some sensible discussions with the other side’. I had a light bulb moment. I realised that there had to be a better way to resolve family law disputes.

Read the full article from Australian Family Lawyer April 2017.

If it can manage to overcome entrenched mindsets within the profession and gain more awareness with the public, collaborative law will be the way of the future for family law in Australia, according to a family law specialist based in Queensland.

Hetherington Legal principal Jennifer Hetherington (pictured) recently attended the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals’ annual educational forum in America, which brought together like-minded lawyers from around the world to further develop their skills in reducing conflict in divorces.  (Read more)