If one spouse has moved out of state, can collaborative sessions be held via telephone or a chat program like Skype?

Sure. I’ve handled cases where one party lived in a remote region of China, or New York, or Minnesota, or Northern California. Maybe Los Angeles County happens to be the jurisdiction for their family law case, but the parties don’t have to be here because, unlike litigation where they have to show up to court, they’re able to communicate at a time that’s convenient for everybody. We’ll set up meetings and work through the issues without actually having everyone present and certainly not in a courtroom.

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.