Membership and Community

Working within a professional team with a common goal while guiding a family through the transition of separation in a respectful, transparent process may seem radical but every collaborative professional has experienced it. You can too!

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Events and Education

Stay on top of collaborative-related training and events taking place within and beyond Ontario. Click on an item for further information. The listing of events and trainings on the website does not imply an endorsement by the OACP, except where indicated. The OACP does not regulate the delivery of programs.

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A Growing, Supportive Community

Since its beginnings in Minnesota in 1990, collaborative practice has expanded globally. Stu Webb dreamed of a supportive, transparent, peaceful process that would benefit the clients as well as the professionals working with them, and that would necessarily avoid going to court. There are now over 5,000 collaborative professionals in 24 countries around the world!

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Ontario Professionals

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Ontario Practice Groups

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Professionals Worldwide

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Why Become a Collaborative Professional?

Join this Innovative Divorce movement!

Collaborative professionals in Ontario are transforming the divorce experience for their clients using interest-based negotiations in a supportive, inter-disciplinary team environment. Leave behind the negativity created in an adversarial climate. Resolve conflict in a more human-centred approach.

Benefits of Becoming a Member

By its nature, the collaborative process cannot be done alone; it requires a team. Membership provides networking and training at practice group meetings, conferences and social events. You will be offered support as a new member, as well as opportunities to learn, and to grow your collaborative practice.

Additional Benefits

  • Blue Cross offers group health benefits for members who apply within their first 60 days of membership, without a medical exam. For more visit Your Friend with Benefits.

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  • We are happy to announce a partnership between OACP and VIA Rail Canada. Everyone is entitled to a 5% discount every time they travel with VIA Rail Canada. You will have access to a special corporate discount code. The corporate rate applies for all destinations, and all fare categories, with the exception of the Escape fare and Prestige. Moreover, this discount applies to your leisure travels (on top of your professional travels). You can have up to 3 people (friends, family, colleagues) traveling with you and they also benefit from the discount, as long as you are traveling with them from point A to point B. For more information about this discount, contact OACP Executive Director Judith Huddart at [email protected].

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I practice collaborative because it's consistent with my core values. I can use my skills as a lawyer and still be true to myself as a person.

Erik, lawyer, St. Catharines
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Membership Requirements

Every client working with a collaborative professional should be confident that they are working with a competent and qualified professional. The OACP recommends that members meet the following standards, as well as the IACP Minimum Standards regarding ethics, training and experience. Each practice group determines their own specific membership requirements.

Contact Your Local Practice Group

Lawyers

Membership Requirements

Recommendations for members:

  1. Must be a lawyer member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario, having earned their LL.B. or J.D.

  2. Must have completed 40 hours of collaborative training, including interest based negotiation skills and collaborative family law skills training, and

  3. Must have errors and omissions insurance coverage of at least $1 million.

Financial Professionals

Membership Requirements

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Recommendations for members:

  1. Must be a member in good standing of a recognized financial regulatory body, and have one or more of these designations: CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant), CA (Chartered Accountant), CGA (Certified General Accountant), CMA (Certified Management Accountant), CFP (Certified Financial Planner), Ch.F.C. (Chartered Financial Consultant), CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter), PFP (Personal Financial Planner), CFDS (Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist), CDFA (Certified Divorce Financial Analyst), FCIA (Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries), CBV (Chartered Business Valuator).

  2. Must have completed 40 hours of collaborative training, including interest based negotiation skills and collaborative family law skills training,

  3. Must have completed a minimum of 16 hours of basic training in the fundamentals of family law, with a recommendation to complete 30 hours of family law training, and

  4. Other than a neutral financial professional providing expertise on a file for a specific purpose (i.e. a CBV or real estate appraiser), financial professionals who will be working as the financial neutral on a collaborative team must be competent working with Divorcemate software, including it’s use to provide support and net family property calculations for settlement purposes; and

  5. Must have professional liability insurance coverage of at least $1 million.

Family Professionals

Membership Requirements

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Recommendations for members:

  1. Must hold a license or professional accreditation and be a member in good standing with one of these associations: College of Psychologists (CPO) - Registered Psychologist, Ontario College of Social Workers (OCSWSSW), Canadian Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (Member with RMFT designation), College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), or the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSO).

  2. Must have completed 40 hours of collaborative training, including interest based negotiation skills and collaborative family law skills training.

  3. Must have completed a minimum of 16 hours of basic training in the fundamentals of family law, with a recommendation to complete 30 hours of family law training.

  4. Must have professional liability insurance coverage of at least $1 million.

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Advanced Collaborative Professional Designation

The OACP offers an advanced designation for experienced collaborative professionals. This designation is not a requirement to be a collaborative professional; it requires additional training and a minimum number of successfully completed collaborative files. Although it is not required, we do encourage all members to aspire to be an Advanced Collaborative Professional and we applaud those who have achieved this milestone.

Advanced Collaborative Professionals

The Advanced Collaborative Professional designation signifies a commitment to Collaborative Practice and an advanced level of practice and expertise. It requires additional training and a minimum number of successfully completed collaborative files, and ongoing continuing education requirements.

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Collaborative Family Professionals

Collaborative Family Professionals assist clients to move through the separation process by facilitating discussions on communication, relationships, emotions, wellbeing, co-parenting and children’s best interests. They work with parents to create a Parenting Plan appropriate for their family. Family Professionals are neutral and are retained by both spouses/partners.

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Collaborative Financial Professionals

Collaborative Financial Professionals are neutral, retained by both spouses/partners. They help both spouses/partners understand relevant financial information. Financial Professionals prepare property statements, identify go-forward lifestyle spending needs and financial opportunities and work with the team to create and attain a successful agreement. Some Collaborative Financial Professionals bring expertise in specific financial areas, such as property or business valuations, or mortgages.

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