Lawyers are being trained in a less acrimonious method of divorce settlements.

A Collaborative Law course is being held this week at the AF Smith Inspiration Office, by family law practitioners Jackie MacLellan and Michelle Hunt.

Mrs. MacLellan of MacLellan & Associates says the course is the first of its kind on the Island.

Collaborative Practice is an alternative dispute resolution process which has grown popular in the US and is now being introduced to Bermuda.

Mrs. MacLellan says: "You can use it for many different legal disputes but this particular course focuses on the family area, and anything related to the breakdown of a marriage, such as divorce and children."

Five people are attending this week's three-day course, but Mrs. MacLellan also hopes to raise public awareness of Collaborative Law/Divorce through outreach and community meetings. "We want the public to know this process is available here," she said. "It will benefit Bermuda because it allows people who are divorcing to resolve their issues in a respectful way and to continue to communicate with each other."

Collaborative Divorce is also called 'no-court divorce' and allows spouses to have the protection and guidance of their lawyers without going to court. It aims to bring about a mutually-acceptable settlement through open communication.

For more information, or to contact the Collaborative Law Alliance of Bermuda, visit: www.cla.bm