Welcome to the White Plains Law Firm of Arnold D. Cribari, Esq. We offer collaborative, mediation, and litigation alternatives to divorce and other domestic relations matters. Our goal is to identify your needs and concerns, and do our best to resolve the divorce economically and in a way that works for you and your entire family for the long term.
With over 30 years of experience as a divorce lawyer in Westchester County, Arnold has found that collaborative law is best for most divorcing couples because it can help them obtain an economical settlement that meets their reasonable needs and those of their children.
Contact the Law Firm of Arnold D. Cribari, Esq. today if you need legal assistance with any of the following:
- Divorce (contested and uncontested)
- Separation Agreements
- Collaborative Law
- Mediation
- Settlements/Trials/Appeals
- Child Custody/Visitation
- Equitable Distribution
- Maintenance/Child Support
- Prenuptial Agreements
- Domestic Partnerships
- Postnuptial Agreements
The purpose of a collaborative approach to family law is to peserve the family's income and assets, stay out of court, reduce conflict and stress, protect children, and making a settlement tailored to the needs and interests of both parties and their children.
If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced White Plains, New York Family Law attorney, call Arnold Cribari today at 914-775-8128, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange your free initial consultation. Evening and weekend appointments available upon request.
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Collaborative Law
In 1990, a Minneapolis divorce attorney, Stu Webb, developed Collaborative Law as a third alternative for divorcing couples. The collaborative movement is now rapidly growing in Westchester County and throughout the New York City metropolitan area.
Collaborative Law is a healthy and respectful alternative for resolving divorces. A collaborative divorce restructures the family; addresses emotional, financial, legal and parenting issues for the present time and the long term, and optimizes a divorcing couple’s chances to make a divorce settlement tailored to their needs and interests for now and for years to come.
Collaborative Law, like mediation, is also a settlement process. In contrast, however, when collaboration begins, both spouses retain their own attorneys who have special training in the collaborative process. This way, each party immediately obtains the support and advice of his/her own lawyer, but the negotiations are based on a cooperative model rather than an adversarial one.
Instead of conducting adversarial negotiations based on power, threats, and blind adherence to the law, collaborative lawyers focus on the needs and interests of both parties and their children. They utilize active listening and other mediation and peace-making techniques to resolve disputes. This represents a sea change in the kinds of skills that attorneys bring to the negotiating table. Collaborative attorneys are conflict resolution professionals; traditional divorce attorneys are adversarial professionals. Therefore, in order to optimize the likelihood of a collaborative settlement, both attorneys should have extensive and ongoing training in Collaborative Law and Mediation.
At the outset of the collaborative process, the parties and their collaborative counsel enter into a participation agreement whereby they commit to working out an out-of-court divorce settlement that is fair to both parties. This preserves the divorcing couple’s power and privacy, keeping the information and decisions in their hands instead of having a stranger in a black robe determine their fate.
The participation agreement also requires – in the unlikely event that negotiations break down – that the collaborative lawyers withdraw and the parties obtain new lawyers to serve as trial counsel. This agreement to withdraw is very beneficial to the divorcing couple because it ensures that the collaborative lawyers cannot financially benefit from any litigation and trial; their sole motivation is to help the couple reach an out-of-court settlement.
The parties agree to follow Ground Rules. The first Ground Rule is “to attack the problems and concerns at hand, not each other.” As suggested by the first ground rule, negotiations are respectful, although not necessarily friendly, given the high level of conflict and/or distrust that may exist between the couple. This is one of the key advantages of collaborative divorce – any conflict or anger is handled openly and constructively by conflict resolution experts, rather than being exacerbated by adversarial experts.
If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced White Plains, New York Family Law attorney, call Arnold Cribari today at 914-775-8128, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange your free initial consultation.
Professional Profile
If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced White Plains, New York Family Law attorney, call Arnold Cribari today at 914-775-8128, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange your free initial consultation.
Attorney Arnold Cribari
Jurisdictions:
- New York
Education:
- Columbia University, B.A.
- Albany Law School, J.D.
Admitted To The Bar:
- 1977, New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- Yorktown Bar Association, (Director, 1981-1985, 1994-1998; Treasurer, 1991-1992; President, 1992-1993; Treasurer, 2010-2011.)
- Westchester County Bar Association (Member: Family Law Section; Professional Economics Committee, 1993-1994; Attorney Client Fee Dispute Committee, 1995-2002)
- New York State Bar Association (Member, Family Law Section)
- New York Association of Collaborative Professionals
- (Co-chair of Membership Committee, 2007-2008; Co-chair of Newsletter Committee, 2011.)
- Hudson Valley Collaborative Divorce Association
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Published Author, including the following articles:
- “Collaborative Law: Divorce Lawyer as Peacemaker" published in the spring/summer 2006 edition of the Westchester Bar Journal, which gives an in depth explanation of collaborative law and the benefits that divorce clients and their attorneys may obtain from it.
- “Divorce: To Mediate, Collaborate or Litigate, That is the Question" published in the Spring 2009 Newsletter of The Financial Planning Association of The Greater Hudson Valley, which explains the important differences between the primary ways for obtaining a legal separation or divorce.
- “The Struggle to Preserve Collaborative Law Benefits When Litigating a Divorce" published in the Spring/Summer 2007 edition in the Westchester Bar Journal, which describes how clients (who go to court as a last resort) can benefit from the services of lawyers trained in collaborative law.
- “Restraining the Custodial Parent from Relocating the Child to a Distant Domicile" published in the May 1988 edition of The Domestic Law Review, which highlights the importance of both parents having regular and frequent contact with the children.
Lecturer, Matrimonial and Family Law Topics for Local Bar Associations, Civic Associations and Other Groups, including the following recent presentations:
- Collaborative Law, February 10, 2009, CLE presentation in New York City sponsored by the Hudson Valley Bank, Faculty included Barry Berkman, Esq., Arnold D. Cribari, Esq., Elana Katz, LCSW, LMFT, and Mary Prior, MS, EA, CFP, CDFA.
- Collaborative Divorce (CLE Program), Ossining Bar Assoc., May 15, 2008.
- Collaborative Divorce, Scarsdale and Edgemont Family Counseling Center, April 22, 2008
- Making Valid Marital Settlement Agreements and Attacking the Bad Ones (CLE Program), Yorktown Bar Assoc., March 26, 2008
Specialized Training in Collaborative Law:
- 2011, IACP Pre-Forum and Forum: 4 day seminar of International Academy of Collaborative Professionals in San Fransisco, October, 2011
- 2009, Pre-Forum and Forum: 4 day seminar of International Academy of Collaborative Professionals in Minneapolis, October, 2009
- 2008, Pre-Forum and Forum: 4 day seminar of International Academy of Collaborative Professionals in New Orleans, October, 2008
- Advanced Collaborative Seminar, Self Reflection in Action for Conflict Professionals: Bringing the Depth of Who We Are to Our Work, (4 day seminar), Center for Mediation in Law, May, 2008
- 2007, Forum (2 day seminar) of International Academy of Collaborative Professionals in Toronto, October, 2007
- Advanced Collaborative Law Seminar/Working with Dynamics of Conflict, New York Association of Collaborative Professionals, February, 2007 and continuing.
- Advanced Collaborative Practice Workshop, New York and Massachusetts Collaborative Law Groups, May, 2006
- Ethics in Collaborative Law Practice, Westchester Women's Bar Association, March, 2006
- Advanced Collaborative Law Training, Collaborative Law Group of Rockland-Westchester, December 2005
- Intensive Mediation Training, Center for Mediation in Law, December 2005
- Advanced Collaborative Law Training, Interdisciplinary Model, New York Collaborative Law Group, September 2005
- Basic Collaborative Law, New York Collaborative Law Group, February 2004
- Divorce Mediation, Center for Family and Divorce Mediation, November 2001