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6 Courthouse Lane, Suite 5
Chelmsford,
Massachusetts
01824
Phone: 978-446-7570
Fax: 978-446-7573
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Helping People Make Informed Decisions
You are considering deeply personal changes in your life. What information must you consider? How should you proceed? Who will serve as your legal advisor?
Attorney William M. Driscoll focuses his legal practice on issues concerning domestic relations and divorce. He practices in all areas of family law, including:
- Adoption
- Alimony
- Appeals
- Child custody
- Child support
- Contempt
- Divorce
- Financial issues
- Grandparent visitation
- Modification of court orders
- Non-traditional families
- Parenting plans
- Paternity
- Premarital agreements
- Property division
- Relocation
- Separation
- Visitation
Mr. Driscoll offers personalized legal solutions. He listens to his clients and helps them at a time when they are facing very personal, stressful, and emotional issues.
Attorney Driscoll will help you see how your decisions impact your future. He will zealously guide you through the process to achieve your objectives. He offers a number of different services to assist you in resolving your family law matter. Contact him today for a consultation!
Traditional Process: Litigation
Divorce is a means to an end, specifically, the end of a marriage. If one spouse seeks a divorce, then a divorce will occur. Typical questions that result may include:
Will we be able to preserve our dignity throughout the divorce process?
How will the divorce affect the children?
When will the divorce occur?
How much will the divorce cost?
You will want to know your rights and obligations under the laws of Massachusetts. You will also need to know the procedures for navigating through the court system.
Divorce, legal separation, paternity, child custody, and child support are only a few of the issues involved in family law. The traditional method of resolving your issues is through litigation, where a judge decides the fate of unresolved matters. Approximately two of every three family law cases begin with litigation in court. Of those, approximately 96% will be resolved by a negotiated settlement between the parties prior to trial.
Collaborative Law and Mediation
The remaining one-third of divorce cases opt out of adversarial litigation and the parties voluntarily enter into one or more alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. These methods may involve mediation or collaborative law. Here, the parties voluntarily attempt settlement through a negotiation process with the goal of presenting a final agreement to the court for approval.
Collaborative law is a voluntary, informal, dispute resolution process performed outside of court. It involves a written commitment of good faith negotiation. Each collaborative attorney represents his own client, and is specifically trained in the process of good faith collaborative agreements. As the spouses are present at each meeting, parties are fully involved in making the agreement their own.
Collaborative law is different from mediation in several ways. The most obvious difference is that there is no neutral mediator. Each party has his or her own attorney to provide legal advice and to aid negotiations during four-way meetings.
Collaborative law is similar to mediation in several ways. The most obvious similarities are that the process is voluntary; the parties commit to an honest exchange of information; and the parties proceed with a good faith commitment to resolve their dispute with solutions that take into account the highest priorities of the parties and their children.
Collaborative law is forward-thinking. The collaborative process is designed to protect the interests of children and spouses as everyone moves forward. Collaborative law seeks to encourage spouses to compose a workable agreement rather than providing a forum for an endless airing of past grievances, as is typically seen in traditional litigation. Because collaborative law does not involve litigation, the parties can create their own agreement without publicly airing the details of their private lives.
As a collaborative attorney, I represent the interests of my client. I offer my client guidance throughout the process and give advice in creating a settlement. By crafting a mutually acceptable agreement, there is typically a greater degree of success in the future.
When you cease being a couple you do not cease being worthy individuals. Divorce need not be a battleground with resolution dictated by the discretion of the court! Collaborative law provides the parties the opportunity to maintain control of their own agreement. Who can better decide what “will work” in the future than the people directly affected by the agreement? Collaborative practice seeks to maintain respect and keeps decisions in the hands of the parties, not in the hands of the court.
Attorney Profile – William M. Driscoll
William M. Driscoll is an attorney licensed to practice law in Massachusetts. His practice focuses on family law and domestic relations matters. He is trained in litigation, collaborative practice, and mediation.
Attorney Driscoll received his Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the New England School of Law in Boston. While attending law school he was a New England Scholar, received the President Anna E. Hirsch Award, and served as editor for the New England Journal on Civil and Criminal Confinement. He also holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Science degree from Worcester State College.
Professional Memberships
- American Bar Association – Family Law and Dispute Resolution Sections
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
- Massachusetts Bar Association – Family Law Section
- Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council
- Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation
Whatever your situation, Attorney William Driscoll can help you to determine the most effective process for ending your marriage and meeting your goals.
Please email us or visit our website for additional information.
