Written by My Collaborative Team President, Edward S. Sachs
Sometimes I raise these provocative issues to keep us thinking and questioning and talking about the best ways to market ourselves as Collaborative Professionals.
Over the past six months we at My Collaborative Team have met and heard from practitioners in communities that have successful Collaborative practices. These communities, like Kansas City, Tallahassee, Florida and Orange County, California seem to have one thing in common. They work under agreed upon protocols that shows their commitment to the Practice and their dedication to their craft.
So, have we been wrong in trying to build the Practice with large numbers or should we be focusing on quality and exclusivity?
In California there have been a few Collaborative Law Centers that have been successful. My friend Bob Merlin once investigated opening one in Coral Gables, Florida. A Collaborative Law Center is a place where a group of attorneys, financial neutrals, and mental health professionals share office space and work as Collaborative teams. It is the epitome of what I describe as “exclusive.” A group of practitioners who work under agreed upon protocols.
Maybe instead of building large Practice Groups encompassing an entire community, we should consider smaller groups of practitioners who work together as familiar teams.
What are your thoughts. Please share or join us on Friday at Happy Hour at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
Some things are just meant to be! I read this blog and surprisingly saw my name. My ears must have been ringing!
I still believe that a Collaborative Law Center should work. Such centers exist in a few communities. To create a center, you need people to commit to the concept, legally, financially and for their professional practice. Theoretically, like-minded professionals who practice Collaboratively would work in the same building and use common areas together and they would refer business to each other. There should be economies of scale for the professionals. The Center could be promoted as a one-stop office for couples to come for all the help they need if they are getting divorced, want a prenup or want a cohabitation agreement. Business would be shared to some extent, but the members of the Center would be free to operate their practice as they deem appropriate. There would be family attorneys, estate planning attorneys, tax attorneys, accountants, mental health professionals, mediators and anyone else interested in being part of such a cool movement! I still look at small buildings through eyes that envision a Collaborative Law Center. I don’t think there are enough people in Miami who are willing to make a commitment to a center. I still maintain a corporation in Florida, Collaborative Law Center, Inc., hoping that others would be interested in this business model. Anyone interested in joining me?
Isn’t this the Pauline Tessler model of the Golden Apple for the professionals in addition to the clients?