EP: 042
J. KIM WRIGHT
RECOGNIZING THE COMPLEXITY OF DIVORCE WITH INTEGRATIVE LAW
Let’s face it: The legal process is intimidating. Separation agreements are difficult to decipher without the help of a professional, and the process often disregards the complexity of what people are going through. Beyond the legal piece, there are emotional, financial, even spiritual implications around ending a marriage. Integrative law seeks to recognize that complexity and design conscious contracts that people can understand and use to resolve conflict.
Kim Wright is a leader in the field of integrative law. Named one of the first Legal Rebels by the American Bar Association (ABA), Kim has been lauded for ‘finding new ways to practice law, represent clients, adjudicate cases and train the next generation of lawyers.’ She leads Continuing Legal Education programs and offers coaching and consulting for lawyers, courts, law firms, legal organizations, law schools as well as the media. Kim is also the author of the ABA best-sellers Lawyers as Peacemakers and Lawyers and Changemakers.
Today, Kim joins Katherine to share how her holistic perspective on divorce was shaped by her experiences. She discusses innovation in the areas of drafting legal contracts written for the people involved and crafting vision statements that reflect the shared values of separating parents. Listen in for Kim’s insight around helping divorcing partners identify their own problematic behavior, using the Blueprint of We to facilitate collaboration, and designing contracts that address change and resolve conflict.
TOPICS COVERED
How integrative law recognizes the complexity of divorce
The connections among the legal, emotional, financial and spiritual aspects of divorce
How Kim’s holistic perspective on divorce was shaped by her experiences
Kim’s commitment to provide dignity to both separating partners
Kim’s innovation in the area of drafting contracts people can understand
- For, about the people involved
- Conscious contracts using plain language
Creating a vision statement that reflects separating parents’ shared values
- Hopes and dreams for children
- Contributions of each parent
How the Blueprint of We facilitates collaboration, specifically in documents
How to help divorcing partners identify their own potentially problematic behavior
How to design contracts that address change and engage conflict
The lawyer’s higher possibility as a peacemaker
The new approaches to problem-solving set forth in Lawyers as Peacemakers
The significance of recognizing the individuality of each client, situation
How integrative law starts with the big picture and crafts details to fit that vision
CONNECT WITH J. KIM WRIGHT
RESOURCES
Lawyers as Peacemakers: Practicing Holistic, Problem-Solving Law by J. Kim Wright
Lawyers as Changemakers: The Global Integrative Law Movement by J. Kim Wright
CONNECT WITH KATHERINE MILLER
The Center for Understanding Conflict
Miller Law Group
Katherine on LinkedIn