{"data":{"id":"us-nh/rsa-490-j-5","jurisdiction":"us-nh","citation":"RSA 490-J:5","heading":"Beginning and Concluding Collaborative Law Process.","body":"I. A collaborative law process begins when the parties sign a collaborative law participation agreement.\nII. A court shall not order a party to participate in a collaborative law process over that party's objection.\nIII. A collaborative law process is concluded by a:\n(a) Resolution of a collaborative matter as evidenced by a signed agreement;\n(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\n(c) Termination of the process.\nIV. A collaborative law process terminates:\n(a) When a party gives written notice to other parties that the process is ended.\n(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.\n(c) When a party:\n(1) Files a petition or other pleading related to a collaborative matter without the agreement of all parties; or\n(2) In a pending proceeding related to the matter:\n(A) Initiates a pleading, motion, order to show cause, or request for a conference with the court; or\n(B) Requests that the proceeding be put on the court's active docket; or\n(C) The matter is no longer stayed.\nV. A party's collaborative lawyer shall give prompt written notice to all other parties if the lawyer has been discharged or withdraws as counsel.\nVI. A party may terminate a collaborative law process with or without cause.\nVII. 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:\n(a) The unrepresented party engages a successor collaborative lawyer; and\n(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.\nVIII. 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.\nIX. A collaborative law participation agreement may provide additional methods of concluding a collaborative law process.","path":["Title LI: COURTS","Chapter 490-J: NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLABORATIVE LAW ACT"],"source_url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LI/490-J/490-J-5.htm","current_through":"2025 regular legislative session, or December 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T16:42:50Z","sha256":"d69d41804264602c05c233fe52ff063c052e4c63e387121afb73ef9ee4d2527b","source_id":"us-nh","stale":false,"prev":"us-nh/rsa-490-j-4","next":"us-nh/rsa-490-j-6"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}