Washington § 7.77.120 - Appropriateness of collaborative law process.

Before a prospective party signs a collaborative law participation agreement, the prospective party must:

(1) Be advised as to whether a collaborative law process is appropriate for the prospective party's matter;

(2) Be provided with sufficient information to make an informed decision about the material benefits and risks of a collaborative law process as compared to the material benefits and risks of other reasonably available alternatives for resolving the proposed collaborative matter, such as litigation, mediation, arbitration, or expert evaluation;

(3) Be informed that after signing an agreement if a party initiates a proceeding or seeks tribunal intervention in a pending proceeding related to the collaborative matter, the collaborative law process terminates;

(4) Be informed that participation in a collaborative law process is voluntary and any party has the right to terminate unilaterally a collaborative law process with or without cause; and

(5) Be informed that the collaborative lawyer and any lawyer in a law firm with which the collaborative lawyer is associated may not appear before a tribunal to represent a party in a proceeding related to the collaborative matter, except as authorized by law or court rule.