COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE VANCOUVER

CDV invites experienced collaborative practitioners and those new to the practice to join the One Year CDV Mentorship Program as either a Mentor or a Mentee. The program is open to anyone, although priority is given to Mentees who have recently received their training and those who have yet to have many collaborative files.

The program aims to match mentors willing to share their experiences in building their collaborative practice with those just getting started. Mentors help Mentees build important networks within the collaborative community and serve as valuable advisors on building Collaborative Practices and best practices in the collaborative process. We encourage Mentors to share their experiences with the collaborative practitioners of tomorrow.

Lawyer Mentors, please note that your time working as a Mentor may qualify for CPD credits! Please visit the LSBC's website at https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/support-and-resources-for-lawyers/continuing- professional-development/mentoring for more information.

The CDV Mentorship Committee will endeavour to match each Mentee with a Mentor in their field. Once matched, Mentees will contact their Mentors to arrange to meet.

We will do our best to match Mentees with Mentors with similar levels of expectation, but no guarantees can be made. It is up to the Mentors and Mentees to discuss and agree on their goals for the program. Please see the Agreement for the specific terms of the program.

Please complete the form below if you are interested in joining this program as a Mentor or Mentee. If you have any questions, please contact our administrator Beatroce de Sousa via email at: admin@collaborativedivorcebc.com.

Collaborative Divorce Vancouver (CDV) Mentorship Program Agreement

Mentoring is a tradition that has withstood the test of time; it is the passing on of skill, knowledge, and wisdom from one person to another. The CDV Mentorship Program is designed to facilitate mentoring relationships for collaborative practitioners who are members of the CDV.

Although the mentoring relationship occurs within the collaborative community, it is not intended to provide legal advice or training. Rather, the purpose of the mentoring program is to address matters such as interpersonal and professional issues, the logistics of running collaborative files and starting a collaborative practice.

Accordingly, we agree to the following terms and conditions:

1. We agree that the term of our mentoring relationship is a period of one year, ending on the date one year after the last one of us signs this agreement.

2. During the term of our mentoring relationship, we agree to be available for consultation and discussion at least once a month via email, over the telephone or in person, as we may decide.

3. We agree to connect on a quarterly basis to review the progress of the relationship and to discuss whether and in what manner the relationship could be improved.

4. The Mentee understands that the Mentor is volunteering his or her personal time for the benefit of the Mentee and the Mentee agrees that he or she will respect the Mentor's time and other responsibilities.

5. At the Mentee's request, the Mentor will look for opportunities to introduce the
Mentee to other members of the collaborative community.

6. Within the first month of the mentoring relationship, the Mentee will set out in writing his or her goals for the mentoring relationship and will discuss these with the Mentor so that the parties are clear as to the Mentee's objectives during the mentoring relationship.

7. All matters discussed in the course of the mentoring relationship shall be confidential unless both parties expressly agree that disclosure can occur. Further, this confidentiality agreement shall continue following the termination of the mentoring relationship.

8. The Mentee enters the relationship with the intention to improve his or her
understanding, skills, and application of collaborative family law principles, practice and procedures. The Mentee understands it is not intended to replace or to be used as a substitute for his or her own judgment as a lawyer, mental health professional, or financial specialist, nor is the Mentee expected to rely solely on the advice of the Mentor without reference to his or her own research, analysis, and due diligence. The Mentee confirms he or she is required to independently verify any statement of law, practice, procedure or facts made by the Mentor and to rely only upon such independent verification.

9. The Mentee releases the Mentor, CDV, and any individual members of the CDV from all liability, professional or otherwise, costs or damages, however it may arise, from any advice or assistance offered or given to the Mentee related to the files or matters that are discussed in the context of mentoring or in the conduct or carriage of the client files. The Mentee confirms that he or she assumes full responsibility and liability for any use that may be made of that advice or assistance at any time.

10. For lawyers, the Mentor will have no contact with the Mentee's clients that would create a professional lawyer-client relationship.

11. The mentoring relationship can be terminated at any time at the option of either party on written notice to the other person together with a copy to CDV, to the attention of CDV administrator via email at: admin@collaborativedivorcebc.com

12. If the Mentor and Mentee agree, the Mentee may shadow the Mentor on one or more of his or her collaborative files. The Mentee must sign the Participation Agreements whenever shadowing on a file.

13. If the Mentor and Mentee agree, the Mentee may ask the Mentor questions about one or more of the Mentee’s collaborative files.

14. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which will be deemed to be an original, but all of which, taken together, will constitute one and the same agreement and will become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other party.