Do you and your spouse wish to avoid fighting in court, yet you cannot reach agreements without help? Or do you each need an attorney to advise you of your rights without escalating the tension between you? If so, collaborative law may be your answer.

In collaborative cases, each party hires his or her own attorney.  The parties and their attorneys agree not to litigate any of the issues.  The parties and attorneys meet for a series of structured settlement conferences to negotiate the final outcome of the case.   An important  benefit of collaborative law is that the parties are in control of  their case; they are able to come up with solutions that are often very different from what a judge would order.  By working together for a settlement, families avoid the escalation in hostility that occurs through litigation. 

There is no easy way through a divorce, and collaborative law requires hard work from the parties and their attorneys.  With the right attorneys helping their clients through the process, this is often the path to the best resolution.  It is essential that the attorneys have skill as collaborative lawyers, a skill set that is very different from the skills required to litigate.  Vonda has the skills and temperment that make for a good quality collaborative lawyer.

Vonda was one of the first attorneys in Houston to start practicing collaborative law.  She was a founding board member of the Alliance of Collaborative Family Law Attorneys.  She has been very active in collaborative law since it first came to Houston in 2000.

Vonda's background in psychology and her personality serve her well in practicing collaborative law. In addition, Vonda has been trained in negotiation skills and as a family systems mediator.