ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an insight into collaborative practice in Ireland. Having examined the literature on research methodologies, it was decided to use a mixed-method approach to gather data, and to analyse the findings through the lens of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). In constructing a sampling frame for a nationwide questionnaire, the target population was lawyers trained in the collaborative process. The first category of interviewees, clients who had used the process, was a purposive sample. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and were analysed through the lens of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) using NVivo, Version 10. An analysis of the questionnaires indicates that most screening is done through an in-depth interview with the client. For collaborative lawyers who used the interdisciplinary model, the most commonly cited benefit was that it provided clients with skills that lawyers do not have in terms of assisting with the emotional issues surrounding a divorce or separation.
