Differences between collaborative law and mediation include:
- Mediation involves the use of a neutral 3rd party mediator to facilitate the process whereas collaborative law processes entail working in four-way meetings
- Collaborative law allows the involvement of inter-disciplinary meetings with financial specialists, divorce coaches, and child specialists
- Within the collaborative process, each party’s lawyer helps with the negotiations, as opposed to the mediator controlling the process in mediation
- The parties are allowed to threaten court action in mediation, whereas in a collaborative process they make a commitment to completion of the process
