Marital Dissolution involves decisions that should be made in a calm, cooperative and nonadversarial environment. An alternative for resolving dissolution issues is collaborative law. The focus of collaborative law is for each party and attorney to make a commitment to the settlement process in a nonadversarial manner.

In collaborative law, the parties and counsel share documents and information with each other. If evaluations or assessments are necessary, an agreement is made on neutral experts to provide an impartial evaluation of the issues. The parties can be assisted in the collaborative law process by coaches who help them cope with the anxiety related to child custody and access issues.

At Silverman & Silverman, the attorneys believe that when parties agree on the outcome of a case, the agreement is often more durable, tailored to the needs of the parties than a decision made by the Court, and more enduring. For these reasons, mediation and collaborative law may provide the parties with efficient, cost-effective ways of reaching a settlement.

Both Silvermans attended the advanced training program in collaborative law in 2007 and, together, have successfully represented parties. Among their clients and in the legal community, Silverman & Silverman has a reputation for vigorous negotiation and settlement. They provide assertive representation in court and at trial. Alan R. Silverman is an experienced trial attorney who has tried over 150 cases. The attorneys pride themselves for being empathic toward their clients, and do not hesitate to deal aggressively with opposing counsel if the situation warrants it.

Mr. Silverman has participated in extensive training in mediation and collaborative law. Mr. Silverman’s experience in psychology makes him attuned to both the expressed and concealed motivations and wishes of the parties. This helps him effectively mediate and negotiate the resolution of cases. Both Silvermans attended the Pepperdine University’s Marvin Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution, which was honored by the U.S. News and World Report as one of the highest rated dispute resolution training centers in the country. In November 2007, Mr. Silverman completed the Advanced Mediation Training Program as taught by Forrest Mosten in Los Angeles.