Title 20, Title 20. Domestic Relations

A. Persons in a proceeding pending before a tribunal may sign a collaborative law participation agreement to seek to resolve a collaborative matter related to the proceeding. The parties shall file promptly with the tribunal a notice of the collaborative law participation agreeme…

During a collaborative law process, a tribunal may issue emergency orders to protect the health, safety, welfare, or interest of a party or a party's family or household member.

A tribunal may affirm, ratify, and incorporate into a court order any agreement resulting from a collaborative law process.

A. Except as otherwise provided in subsection C, a collaborative lawyer is disqualified from appearing before a tribunal to represent a party in a proceeding related to the collaborative matter. B. Except as otherwise provided in subsection C and § 20-176, a lawyer in a law firm …

A. The disqualification provisions of § 20-175 apply to a collaborative lawyer representing a party with or without fee. B. After a collaborative law process concludes, another lawyer in a law firm with which a collaborative lawyer disqualified pursuant to § 20-175 is associated …

Except as otherwise provided by law, during the collaborative law process, on the request of another party, a party shall make timely, full, candid, and informal disclosure of information related to the collaborative matter without the requirement of the formal discovery procedur…

This chapter does not affect the professional responsibility obligations and standards applicable to a lawyer or other licensed professional or the obligation of a person to report abuse or neglect, abandonment, or exploitation of a child or adult under the laws of the Commonweal…

Before a prospective party signs a collaborative law participation agreement, a prospective collaborative lawyer shall: 1. Assess with the prospective party factors the lawyer reasonably believes relate to whether a collaborative law process is appropriate for the prospective par…

A. Before a prospective party signs a collaborative law participation agreement, a prospective collaborative lawyer shall make reasonable inquiry into whether there exists a history of family abuse between the prospective parties. B. Throughout a collaborative law process, a coll…

A collaborative law communication is confidential to the extent agreed upon by the parties in a signed record or as provided by another law of the Commonwealth.

A. Subject to §§ 20-183 and 20-184, a collaborative law communication is privileged under subsection B, is not subject to discovery, and is not admissible in evidence. B. In a proceeding, the following privileges apply: 1. A party may refuse to disclose, and may prevent any other…

A. A privilege under § 20-182 may be waived in a record or orally during a proceeding if it is expressly waived by all parties and, in the case of the privilege of a nonparty participant, it is also expressly waived by such participant. B. A person who makes a disclosure or repre…

A. There is no privilege under § 20-182 for a collaborative law communication that is: 1. Available to the public; 2. A threat or statement of a plan to inflict bodily injury or commit a crime of violence; 3. Intentionally used to plan a crime, commit or attempt to commit a crime…

A. If a collaborative law participation agreement fails to meet the requirements of § 20-170, or a lawyer fails to comply with § 20-179 or 20-180, a tribunal may nevertheless find that the parties intended to enter into a collaborative law participation agreement if they (i) sign…

In applying and construing this uniform chapter, consideration shall be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it.

This chapter modifies, limits, or supersedes the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq., but does not modify, limit, or supersede § 101(c) of that act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001(c), or authorize electronic delivery of any of the notices describ…