78B-19-105. Beginning and concluding a collaborative law process.
(1) A collaborative law process begins when the parties sign a collaborative law participation agreement.
(2) A tribunal may not order a party to participate in a collaborative law process over that party's objection.
(3) A collaborative law process is concluded by a: resolution of a collaborative matter as evidenced by a signed record; resolution of a part of the collaborative matter, evidenced by a signed record, in which the parties agree that the remaining parts of the matter will not be resolved in the process; or termination of the process.
(4) A collaborative law process terminates: when a party gives notice to other parties in a record that the process is ended; or when a party: begins a proceeding related to a collaborative matter without the agreement of all parties; or in a pending proceeding related to the matter: initiates a pleading, motion, order to show cause, or request for a conference with the tribunal; requests that the proceeding be put on the tribunal's calendar; or takes similar action requiring notice to be sent to the parties; or except as otherwise provided by Subsection, when a party discharges a collaborative lawyer or a collaborative lawyer withdraws from further representation of a party. (5)
(5) A party's collaborative lawyer shall give prompt notice to all other parties of a discharge or withdrawal, in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure.
(6) A party may terminate a collaborative law process with or without cause.
(7) Notwithstanding the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative lawyer, a collaborative law process continues, if not later than 30 days after the date that the notice of the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative lawyer required by Subsectionis sent to the parties: (4)(c) the unrepresented party engages a successor collaborative lawyer; and in a signed record: the parties consent to continue the process by reaffirming the collaborative law participation agreement; the agreement is amended to identify the successor collaborative lawyer; and the successor collaborative lawyer confirms the lawyer's representation of a party in the collaborative process.
(8) A collaborative law process does not conclude if, with the consent of the parties, a party requests a tribunal to approve a resolution of the collaborative matter or any part thereof as evidenced by a signed record.
(9) A collaborative law participation agreement may provide additional methods of concluding a collaborative law process.