New Member Application

To apply to become a member of the Collaborative Family Law Association you must meet the following requirements to apply:

In one of the following professions with a license in good standing:

• Attorney: lawyer licensed in Missouri
  • have practiced law for a minimum of three (3) years
  • during the preceding three (3) year period at least forty percent (40%) of my practice involved family law issues
• Mental Health Professional: LCSW, LPC, MFT or SCOP
  • have completed three (3) years of post-graduate clinical experience (mater's level or above)
  • for participation as a Coach, experience in Family Systems Theory, Individual and Family Life Cycle Development, Assessment of Individual and Family Strengths, Assessment and Challenges of Family Dynamics in Separation and Divorce, and/or the Challenge of Restructuring Families after Separation
  • for participation as a Child Specialist, also experience in child development with a focus on the impact of divorce and children's issues in divorce
• Financial Professional: CFP, CPA, CMA, or CDP
  • have three (3) years of experience and education in the financial aspects of divorce and/or personal financial planning concepts, which may include cash management and spending plans, retirement and pension plans, income tax, investments, real estate, insurance, property valuation and division, and/or individual and family financial planning concepts
  • have an additional twenty (20) hours of education in the financial fundamentals of divorce giving the financial professional a basic understanding of family law including: divorce procedures; property valuation and division; pensions and retirement plans; budgeting income and expenses; child and spousal support; future income projections; and/or financial implications of different scenarios for settlement

Within three (3) years of initial membership approval, all members must also complete the following training:

• forty (40) hour mediation training (including divorce mediation)
• twelve (12) Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice Training taught by trainers who meet the IACP minimum standards for trainers
• for non-mental health professionals, three (3) hour family systems training (provided by CFLA)
• for non-financial professionals, three (3) hour divorce financial fundamentals of divorce training (provided by CFLA)
• for non-lawyers, three (3) hour basic understanding of family law training (provided by CFLA)

Once approved to maintain membership status, CFLA member requirements include:

• agree to be an active member of CFLA, participating in business meetings, continuing education, study groups, social events, and team debriefing sessions
• actively serve on a CFLA committee or on the board of directors (active participation generally means attending at least fifty percent (50%) of meetings)
• attend at least three (3) regular general membership meetings (these are business and education meetings throughout the year)
• complete ten (10) hours of continue education or training every twenty-four (24) months in any of the following: collaborative practice, advanced mediation, family law, or other training relevant to collaborative practice
• carry malpractice insurance at no less than the minimum coverage offered by your professional malpractice carrier for your discipline and role

If you are interested in joining our practice group here is the New Member Application for completion and submission.

Download New Member Application

If you have any questions, please contact our Membership Committee Chair, Sophya Raza at so***@ra*******.com.