Expanding CollaBoraTivE rEsourCEs, rulEs and guidElinEs
Collaborative Law Section
Chairs: Shannon Ciesluk – CBIZ, LMHM and Jessica Felix – Felix, Felix & Baseman, LLC
There are so many great
resources available
to collaborative
professionals within the
S
hannon and I are so
excited to chair the
Collaborative Law Section
of the HCBA at a time
when the Florida Courts, the
Florida Legislature, and the legal
community have truly and sincerely
embraced this alternative dispute
resolution method for many areas
of law, but especially family law.
In 2012, the Family Law Rules
Committee first proposed the
Collaborative Process Rule, which
would set forth protocols for
participation in the collaborative
law process in family law disputes.
At the time, the Supreme Court
declined to adopt the proposed
rule, indicating that it would be
premature to do so without laws
to guide the process.
Fast forward to 2016, when
the legislature passed the
Collaborative Law Process Act. 1
Contemporaneously, the Florida
Bar and the Rules Committee
jointly filed a petition requesting
that the Supreme Court adopt
new Bar Rule 4-1.19 (Collaborative
Law Process in Family Law) and
new Family Law Rule 12.745
(Collaborative Law Process). The
proposed rules were unanimously
approved. 2 The Act and the new
rules took effect on July 1, 2017.
Since these changes, continued
efforts have been made to refine
the rules and to further guide,
educate, and support collaborative
22
Tampa Bay area and
throughout the state.
professionals throughout the state
and here in Hillsborough County.
There are so many great
resources available to collaborative
professionals within the Tampa Bay
area and throughout the state that
continue to grow each year. The
Florida Academy of Collaborative
Professionals (FACP), started just a
few years ago, has already grown
to over 500 members. Recently, the
group started a Leadership Institute,
and the group is currently in the
process of finalizing a credentialing
program for collaborative
professionals. The FACP also
offers an annual conference that
provides opportunities to learn new
collaborative skills and techniques
for your collaborative practice.
Other local collaborative groups
such as Tampa Bay Academy of
Collaborative Professionals (TBACP)
and Next Generation Divorce (NGD)
have also seen their memberships
grow substantially in recent years.
These groups offer many educational
and networking opportunities to
their members, as they work to grow
better qualified and experienced
collaborative practitioners.
You can learn more about these
organizations at the following links:
• FACP: https://www.collaborative
practiceflorida.com
• TBACP: https://tbacp.org
• NGD: https://nextgeneration
divorce.com
Having been trained in the
collaborative process almost a
decade ago, I am in awe of
the changes I have seen in the
collaborative practice since that
time. The skill of my colleagues
continues to amaze me, and the
results that we are able to obtain
for our clients through the
collaborative process has renewed
faith in the family law community.
I cannot wait to see what the future
holds for this innovative and non-
adversarial legal process as it
continues to grow.
During the coming year, the
Collaborative Law Section will
continue to work toward improving
and expanding the collaborative
law process and community in the
Tampa Bay area. Among other
things, the Section will continue to
provide networking opportunities,
innovative speakers, and enriching
articles to help you grow your
collaborative practice and skills.
Stay tuned! n
Fla. Stat. Ch. 61, Part III.
In re Amendments to Rule Regulating
The Florida Bar 4-1.19, 218 So. 3d
440, 443 (Fla. 2017).
1
2
Authors: Shannon Ciesluk – CBIZ,
LMHM and Jessica Felix – Felix,
Felix & Baseman, LLC
SEPT - OCT 2019
|
HCBA LAWYER