Coercive or violent relationship

  1. Law
  2. District of Columbia Code
  3. Particular Actions, Proceedings and Matters. [Enacted title]
  4. Collaborative Law; Uniform Act
  5. Coercive or violent relationship

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(a) Before a prospective party signs a collaborative law participation agreement, a prospective collaborative lawyer shall make reasonable inquiry whether the prospective party has a history of a coercive or violent relationship with another prospective party.

(b) Throughout a collaborative law process, a collaborative lawyer reasonably and continuously shall assess whether the party the collaborative lawyer represents has a history of a coercive or violent relationship with another party.

(c) If a collaborative lawyer reasonably believes that the party the lawyer represents or the prospective party who consults the lawyer has a history of a coercive or violent relationship with another party or prospective party, the lawyer may not begin or continue a collaborative law process unless:

(1) The party or the prospective party requests beginning or continuing the process; and

(2) The collaborative lawyer reasonably believes that the safety of the party or prospective party can be protected adequately during the process.

(May 9, 2012, D.C. Law 19-125, § 2(b), 59 DCR 1928.)

Section References

This section is referenced in § 16-4020.

Editor's Notes

Uniform Law: This section is based on § 15 of the Uniform Collaborative Law Act.


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