The Mississippi Supreme Court just approved new rules for collaborative law. Our own Attorney Mark Chinn chaired the commission of judges and lawyers who developed, promoted, and petitioned for these rules.
Mississippi Bar President Jennifer Ingram appointed Mr. Chinn to lead the creation of the proposed rules and their petition for adoption. This elite committee of family law attorneys and judges began research and meetings in 2021.
During these meetings, Attorney Chinn wrote several articles for the Mississippi Lawyer Magazine on the topic, and he presented to various legal bodies, including the Mississippi Bar and the Mississippi Chancery Judges conference. These steps helped him gain support for the new regulations. Mr. Chinn also worked closely with Mississippi Bar Counsel Adam Kilgore to draft the successful petition to the Mississippi Supreme Court.
In Collaborative Law, attorneys and clients sign a contract to resolve cases without going to court. They use a team approach to address issues, considering everyone's interests. This method has been adopted by 24 states and multiple countries, including Canada, Australia, France, England, and Germany.
Mississippi’s new rules provide a structured approach to resolving family law disputes. They cover various issues such as marriage, divorce, dissolution, annulment, and property distribution. Under this new system, clients can also address child custody, visitation, and parenting time. The rules can facilitate negotiations around alimony, maintenance, and child support along with adoption procedures. Mississippi residents can also address parentage, offering clarity for all parties involved.
This collaborative process also helps with the premarital, marital, and post-marital agreement process. Couples can create new agreements or modify existing ones together, and the rules can help them with enforcement and conflicts related to existing agreements.
This new collaborative framework promotes communication and cooperation, allowing families to reach satisfactory resolutions while reducing conflict.
Our firm is proud to have contributed to these groundbreaking changes, and we know Attorney Mark Chinn has just begun making a positive impact on our state.
Chinn & Associates, PC is here to help with all your family law concerns, including a collaborative approach. To meet with our team, you can contact us online or call us directly at (601) 202-5594.
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