A week ago, I received a call from a Collaborative professional in Panama City, Florida. David Smith is a financial neutral who has been trying to get the Collaborative Process going in his neck of the woods. Unfortunately, in 2018 Panama City was devastated by Hurricane Michael. And then, just as things were getting back to some sort of normal the pandemic struck. Through it all David has held steadfast to his desire to get a Collaborative matter and bring this great process to his part of the state.

One positive that has come from the pandemic are the barriers that have been knocked down. No longer does the location of your office or where you live stand in the way of getting Collaborative cases. Everything is being done on Zoom. 

So now David is going to be a Scribe in a case involving a South Florida attorney and financial neutral along with a Central Florida attorney and mental health professional. Hopefully the experience he gains from being an observer of the process will give David the confidence and competence to help him make cases in his own region, or to participate long distance in cases elsewhere in the state.

I encourage all practitioners to consider using a Scribe to take notes and participate with the professionals in a Collaborative matter. Most importantly, consider giving this experience to professionals in smaller communities where practice groups may be struggling.