Can all family law issues be resolved using the collaborative approach or are some better suited to it than others?

Some family law issues are better suited to collaborative law than others. For example, if there is domestic violence and a pattern of abuse, then the parties might not be good candidates for a dissolution through a collaborative approach; they might need the finality of a judge’s decision in order to protect their interests.

Founding partner of McGaughey & Spirito in Redondo Beach, California, Joe Spirito has been practicing family law since 1982 and is currently serving as secretary of the Los Angeles County Bar’s Family Law Section.