Becoming a Member of CP Cincinnati
Greater Cincinnati area lawyers, mental health professionals and financial consultants, who have been trained in the Collaborative methodology of dispute resolution in the area of family relations and children's issues, are eligible for membership in the Academy.
The basic requirements for all members of any of the three Collaboratively professional groups is, first and foremost, a personal commitment to the precepts our group's mission: the promotion of out of court resolution of marital conflict. Annual dues are currently $150.00.
Each year there are regularly scheduled monthly and quarterly meetings where the members discuss Collaborative issues, undertake peer review and case studies and promote consistent use of commonly practiced protocols. The meetings also promote collegiality among the professions and provide space for the development of trusting relationships which help engender successful Collaborative results. Each year, attendance at a substantial number of meetings is required for inclusion on the group’s website roster.
Attorneys
Attorneys must be licensed to practice law in Ohio for at least three (3) years and in good standing with the local or state bar association. They must have actively represented litigants or have been involved in the Court system for three (3) years preceding the date of application. A substantial concentration of the applicant's practice must be in the Family Law area. All attorneys must have professional liability insurance. Each applicant for membership should possess those characteristics of competency, compassion and commitment to the skills of negotiation and civility which are integral to the Collaborative Practice. Each applicant complete and sign an application form provided by the Academy, which among other things, requires the applicant's adherence to the principles and guidelines of the Cincinnati Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
Financial Professionals
Financial Professionals must be a CFP, CPA or ChFC. In addition, Financial Professionals must have an appropriate background, education and experience in the financial planning aspects of divorce, including, 20 hours of training at either the Academy for Financial Divorce Practitioners, the Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts, similar training through a university, bar association or CPA program. Collaborative Financial Professionals also are required to have training in communication and mediation skills, client centered, facilitative conflict resolution and interdisciplinary Collaborative training. Members of the Cincinnati Academy of Collaborative Professionals do not receive commissions from the sale of investments or other products to the clients, or receive referral fees or other compensation for implementation of financial strategies during or after the Collaborative Process.
Mental Health Professionals
Mental Health Professionals are required to be licensed in Ohio as a psychologist, school psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, psychiatrist, licensed professional counselor or licensed professional clinical counselor. Collaborative Mental Health Professionals must have an understanding, knowledge and experience in the Family Systems Theory, Individual and Family Life Cycle and Development, assessment of individual and family strengths, assessment and challenges of family dynamics in separation and divorce and challenges of restructuring families after separation. Child and Parenting Specialists shall have expertise in child development, clinical experience with a specialty focus on children and an in-depth understanding of children's issues in divorce. Training requirements include a minimum of six(6) hours of basic interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice training and six (6) hours of annual continuing education in the Collaborative methodology. Mental Health Professionals in the Cincinnati Academy must also have a minimum of three (3) hours legal training in the Family Law practices of his or her jurisdiction. Liability insurance is required to participate in the Collaborative Process.
- It creates a cooperative environment where communication remains open.
- It establishes a team instead of adversaries.
- In matters requiring expert opinions, both parties can jointly hire one independent consultant. That helps shorten the duration of the case and reduces the overall expense.
- Your issues stay within the Collaborative Law setting. That gives you more privacy and greater confidentiality — and less stress during an already-stressful time.
- You and your spouse shape the agreements together -- which means you both are more likely to keep them. That diminishes the parental conflict the adverarial system generates and helps protect children from facing the anguish and divided loyalties that result.
- You can schedule meetings without waiting for court dates. That means you generally spend less time and, as a result, less money to reach closure. It also means you reduce the fear and anxiety associated with court proceedings.