HCBA Lawyer Magazine Vol. 30, No. 1 | Page 24

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