AACP Road to Resolution Conference - Cross-border Collaborations

COLLABORATION HAS NO BOUNDARIES … OR DOES IT?

Until recently, the ability to undertake relatively unrestricted international travel, has meant that many relationships are formed globally between people from different countries and frequently in countries of which neither is a citizen or resident.

When those relationships fail, there's an extra layer of complexity in assisting clients to navigate the separation process.  Collaborative Practice offers both some unique advantages and also raises some legal and practical issues in dealing with those challenges and complexities.

In this presentation, collaborative lawyers from Australia, Hong Kong and Switzerland will explore these complexities in the context of conducting an international family law matter using the Collaborative Process, including issues such as:

- Why or why not choose the Collaborative Process for international matters.
- How to deal with choice of jurisdiction.
- Conflict of laws issues that can arise.
- How to manage competing local rules and customs including the (often substantial) different approaches to the Collaborative Process across borders.

The presenters will cover challenges that have arisen in an actual international collaborative family law matter and will include a "warts and all" examination of what worked, what didn't work and how the collaborative team worked together to achieve the successful outcome.