New Hampshire § 490-J:5 Beginning and Concluding Collaborative Law Process

New Hampshire Statutes

§ 490-J:5 — Beginning and Concluding Collaborative Law Process

New Hampshire § 490-J:5

Title LICOURTS

Ch. 490-JNEW HAMPSHIRE COLLABORATIVE LAW ACT

This text of New Hampshire § 490-J:5 (Beginning and Concluding Collaborative Law Process) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 490-J:5 (2026).

Text

I. A collaborative law process begins when the parties sign a collaborative law participation agreement. II. A court shall not order a party to participate in a collaborative law process over that party's objection. III. A collaborative law process is concluded by a:

(a)Resolution of a collaborative matter as evidenced by a signed agreement;

(b)Resolution of a part of the collaborative matter, evidenced by a signed agreement, in which the parties agree that the remaining parts of the matter will not be resolved in the process; or

(c)Termination of the process. IV. A collaborative law process terminates:

(a)When a party gives written notice to other parties that the process is ended.

(b)Except as otherwise provided by paragraph VII, when a party discharges a collaborative lawyer or a c

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I. A collaborative law process begins when the parties sign a collaborative law participation agreement.
II. A court shall not order a party to participate in a collaborative law process over that party's objection.
III. A collaborative law process is concluded by a:
(a) Resolution of a collaborative matter as evidenced by a signed agreement;
(b) Resolution of a part of the collaborative matter, evidenced by a signed agreement, in which the parties agree that the remaining parts of the matter will not be resolved in the process; or
(c) Termination of the process.
IV. A collaborative law process terminates:
(a) When a party gives written notice to other parties that the process is ended.
(b) Except as otherwise provided by paragraph VII, when a party discharges a collaborative lawyer or a collaborative lawyer withdraws from further representation of a party.
(c) When a party:
(1) Files a petition or other pleading related to a collaborative matter without the agreement of all parties; or
(2) In a pending proceeding related to the matter:
(A) Initiates a pleading, motion, order to show cause, or request for a conference with the court; or
(B) Requests that the proceeding be put on the court's active docket; or
(C) The matter is no longer stayed.
V. A party's collaborative lawyer shall give prompt written notice to all other parties if the lawyer has been discharged or withdraws as counsel.
VI. A party may terminate a collaborative law process with or without cause.
VII. Notwithstanding the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative lawyer, a collaborative law process continues, if within 30 days or within a time agreed to by the team in writing:
(a) The unrepresented party engages a successor collaborative lawyer; and
(b) The parties consent in writing to continue the process by reaffirming the collaborative law participation agreement, and the successor collaborative lawyer confirms the lawyer's representation of a party in the collaborative process.
VIII. A collaborative law process shall not conclude if the parties jointly request the court to approve a settlement of the collaborative matter or any part thereof.
IX. A collaborative law participation agreement may provide additional methods of concluding a collaborative law process.