What is Virginia Collaborative Professionals (VaCP) and how do I join?

  • Virginia Collaborative Professionals (VaCP) is a state-wide non-profit association of attorneys, mental health, and financial professionals trained in the Collaborative Process.
    • Using the Collaborative Process, VaCP interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, coaches and
      financial neutrals offer clients support, protection, financial and legal guidance necessary to
      resolve disputes within an atmosphere of mutual respect.
    • VaCP members are dedicated to resolving family and civil matters without going to court.
    • VaCP members train extensively to provide clients a high level of skill, competence and compassion to resolve disputes without going to court.
    • VaCP Members are organized into geographic practice groups across the state of Virginia.
    • Contact a VaCP Member to learn more about VaCP  Contact a Collaborative Professional [link to the list of VaCP members]

    Our Vision is that Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice will become a Dispute Resolution ‘model of choice’ in Virginia and an influential factor in local and global peacebuilding.

    Our Mission is to engage and support VaCP Collaborative Practice Member Groups throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia in their efforts to:

    1. develop competent and confident Collaborative Practitioners; and
    2. promote Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice as a Dispute Resolution ‘model of choice’ in resolving domestic and civil disputes respectfully.

    The VaCP adopts the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals Minimum Standards. Therefore, every VaCP member must demonstrate professional credentials, act in compliance with ethical standards, and carry liability insurance. In addition, members are required to undertake

    • Basic or interdisciplinary collaborative training
    • Mediation training
    • Additional training in negotiation or communication skills
    • Annual continuing education

Step 1.  Click here to review the IACP Standards and Ethics before going to Step 2.

This document contains the ethical standards for Collaborative Practice as well as the minimum training and other qualification standards for practitioners, then proceed..

Step 2. Click here to join VaCP.

  • Membership dues are $135.00
  • I understand that the VaCP cannot activate my membership until sufficient information has been provided on my initial application and membership dues have been received.
  • Please include your undergraduate and graduate education. Additional education in your profession can also be listed, but is not required.
  • After you enter your basic collaborative training, please include any mediation and/or interest-based negotiation skills training, communication skills training, intermediate collaborative training, advanced collaborative training, and basic professional coach training in the appropriate sections. These can include training taken at any time during your career including prior to your basic collaborative training
  • When choosing a local practice group, please choose a group of which you are a current member. This may be updated at any time.
  • You may include your firm website for an additional charge.  And/ or, if you are an IACP member, you may include a link to your IACP member profile for an additional charge.
  • After your application is submitted, you will be notified via email from the VaCP to confirm membership status and payment of dues.

What is a Collaborative Practice?

Virginia enacts the Uniform Collaborative Law Act in 2021!

Collaborative law is a form of alternative dispute resolution that developed over 30 years ago in Minnesota with attorney Stu Webb. Since its initial use in Minnesota, the practice has spread to all 50 states in the U.S and to 25 different countries across the globe. With the passage of its Uniform Collaborative Law Act (UCLA) in 2021, Virginia becomes the 21st U.S. jurisdiction to pass a Uniform Collaborative Law Act or Rule (UCLA/R), including D.C. in 2012 and Maryland in 2014. With the recent passage of its statute, Colorado becomes the 22nd  jurisdiction to pass a UCLA/R.

Virginia’s UCLA effective July 1, 2021 is set out in Virginia Code as Title 20, Chapter 11, §§ 20-168 through 20-187.

 

What is the Uniform Collaborative Law Act?

Uniform Laws promote consistency in laws from one state to another. In 2009, the Uniform Law Commission approved a Uniform Collaborative Law Act (UCLA) after a 3-year drafting process. A Uniform Collaborative Act or Rule has been passed in one or more states every year since 2010.

The UCLA provides a statutory framework to ethically practice Collaborative Law and to ensure parties enter the Collaborative Law process with informed consent. Informed consent includes the lawyer’s assessment with the client as to why the lawyer believes the Collaborative Process is appropriate; consideration of  factors the “lawyer reasonably believes [are] sufficient for the party 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.” Additionally, the lawyer shall advise the client how a case terminates and that the attorneys and their firms are disqualified from representing the clients in court. Collaboration is voluntary. The Act does not mandate the use of the Collaborative Law process for either parties or lawyers. Either party may unilaterally terminate the process.

For those clients who voluntarily choose to focus their attention and resources on settlement from the outset and select the Collaborative Law Process, the UCLA mandates essential core elements such as full, candid and informal disclosure of information no court while in the Process disqualification of attorneys and their firms if the Process terminates, and confidential communications, as agreed, are not subject to discovery and are not admissible in evidence.

 

FAQ for VaCP Members

Your membership term is anniversary based. You will receive an automated email notice at 30 days and 15 days prior to the date your VaCP membership is due to expire. The emails will contain a link to the login page so you can get to the renewal application and instructions. To streamline the approval process when you update your renewal application, please be sure to include the additional Collaborative training details needed to meet the criteria as listed on the application and pay the membership dues in a timely manner.

Payment for dues can be made with a check or online through PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, you can choose the “Pay by Credit Card” option and you can pay with a credit or debit card. If you are a PayPal member, or choose to become one, you would have other options regarding the payment source.

No, PayPal is a separate company that specializes in processing payments.

Only the names of current VaCP Members will be displayed on the “Contact a Collaborative Professional‘ page.

  1. Have you verified that your VaCP membership current?
  2. If you have recently renewed, did you enter the required training(s)? Within 24 months of your initial application date, you need to enter on your renewal application or update your VaCP profile with the details of the following training(s), which may include training you have taken prior to becoming a VaCP member:
    • 30 hours of training in client, facilitative conflict resolution such as interest-based negotiation or mediation skills training AND
    • An additional 15 hours of interest-based negotiation, communication skills training, intermediate or advanced Collaborative training, or basic professional coach training.
    • Annually, after the above trainings have been entered, you need to attend and enter the details of at least 4 hours of Collaborative training
  3. If, when renewing, you chose the option to ‘Pay by check’, have you received an email confirmation from the VaCP Administrator confirming that payment has been received?
Degree Institution Year Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More
Year Course Title Instructor Hours Add More