Directory of Fellows
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
| Full Name: | Camille Milner |
| Profession: | Collaborative Attorney |
| Firm Name: | S. Camille Milner, P.C. |
| Address: | 620 W. Hickory |
| City: | Denton |
| State, Zip: | Texas 76201 |
| Phone: | 940/383-2674 |
| Office Fax: | 940/898-0118 |
| Practice Counties: | Denton, Dallas, Collin, Wise, Cooke and Tarrant |
| Website: | www.milner-law.com |
| E-Mail: | Camille@milner-law.com |
COLLABORATIVE LAW TRAINING
| Training | Year | Instructor/Course |
| Basic | 2003 | Chip Rose and Sherry Slovin |
| 2004 | Chip Rose | |
| 2005 | Chip Rose | |
| 2007 | Norma Trusch, Donald Royall & Mareen Peltier, Collaborative Law Institute of Texas | |
| 2008 | CLI-TX Basic Trainer and Trainer for New Paradigm Collaborative Training | |
| Intermediate | 2006 | CLI-TX Interdisciplinary Training |
| 2007 | CLI-TX Interdisciplinary Training | |
| 2008 & 2009 | NPT Trainer in Interdisciplinary Collaborative Law Training | |
| Advanced | 2003 | Chip Rose |
| 2005 | IACP/CLI-TX Summertime Harvest of Skills | |
| Mediation Training | 2008 | Kay Elliott, Texas Woman’s University 40-hour Basic Mediation Training |
| 2008 | Advanced Family Law Mediation, Kay Elliott, Professor at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law and Texas Woman’s University | |
| Other Conflict Resolution Training | 2007 | William Eddy |
| 2008 | William Eddy | |
| 2008 | Sharon Ellison |
PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY
General Comments
My practice is primarily focused on Collaborative Law because I feel very strongly that it is much better than traditional litigation for almost all clients. After practicing for nearly twenty years, as a litigator in personal injury, workers’ compensation, civil litigation, family law, guardianship and probate, I was so pleased when the Collaborative Law Movement made its way to Texas in 2000. I am proud to have participated in nearly 100 successful collaborative cases. In the discussion below, the descriptions deal with family law; however, these processes are also being applied to estate planning and probate, guardianship and other areas of civil law.
What is Collaborative Law?
Collaborative Law is a process in which the parties contractually agree that they will that they will not to go to Court. While this may at first sound limiting, the actual result is that the parties and the lawyers are not tempted to threaten to "go to Court if you don’t do what I want," and they draw on all their creativity to develop their common interests, goals and options. The result is, in nearly 100% of the collaborative cases in which I have been involved, an agreement was reached that is much more satisfactory to the clients than if they had gone to Court. The fundamental basis for collaborative law is "interest-based negotiation" vs. "position-based negotiation," which is the basis of the litigation system.
Why is Collaborative Law So Successful?
Collaborative Law is so successful because, with the help of trained collaborative lawyers, a collaboratively trained communications coach and financial planner, the parties are given the tools to negotiate an agreement between them that is THEIR AGREEMENT. Neither party will enter into any agreement without it being acceptable to them. Of course, this does not mean that each party is 100% satisfied with every element of the agreement, but they are satisfied with the compromises they have made to reach a total agreement. This is a striking contrast to the Court or jury having only a small window of time to learn all about the parties, their children, and their issues. In most cases, unfortunately, the result in Court was not as satisfactory as when the parties have been able to work on their agreement in the collaborative process. The basic philosophy is different in that, unlike in litigation, where there is almost always a "winner" and a "loser," in Collaborative Law cases, the parties feel that together they have developed a "win-win" for both parties and certainly for any children of the relationship.
Collaborative Law
PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION
| Board Certification: | Board Certified Family Law—Texas Board of Legal Specialization |
| Areas of Practice: | Family Law, Collaborative Law in Family, Probate & Guardianship |
| Name of Law School: | University of Texas School of Law Doctor of Jurisprudence |
| Year of Graduation: | 1983 |
| Awards/Honors: | Moot Court |
| Licenses: | Texas Law License |
| Name of Undergrad School: | University of North Texas (Previously NTSU) |
| Year of Graduation: | 1980 |
| Degree: | B.A., Double Major, History and Political Science |
| Awards/Honors: | Magna Cum Laude |
| Other Professional Licenses: | Admitted to Texas State Bar – 1970 |
| Professional Activities: |
Board, Collaborative Law Institute of Texas Board, Texas College of Collaborative Law Denton County Bar Association, President, 1993-94 Denton County Collaborative Professionals Course Director, State Bar of Texas/Collaborative Law Institute of Texas Spring Conference 2009 Assistant Course Director, State Bar of Texas/Collaborative Law Institute Spring Conference 2008 Member International Academy of Collaborative Professionals Stu Webb Lecturer, October 2008, New Orleans, 8th Annual IACP Networking and Educational Forum Member, New Paradigm Training Team for Training of Collaborative Professionals and Staff Adjunct Instructor in Family Law, Texas Woman’s University |
