§377.2. Definitions

            In this Part, the following terms have the following meanings:

            (1) "Collaborative family law communication" means a statement, whether oral or in a record, or verbal or nonverbal, that:

            (a) Is made to conduct, participate in, continue, or reconvene a collaborative family law process.

            (b) Occurs after the parties sign a collaborative family law participation agreement and before the collaborative family law process is concluded.

            (2) "Collaborative family law matter" means a dispute, transaction, claim, problem, or issue for resolution, including a dispute, claim, or issue in a proceeding, that is described in a collaborative family law participation agreement and arises under the family or domestic relations law of this state, including:

            (a) Marriage, divorce, dissolution, annulment, and property distribution.

            (b) Child custody, visitation, and parenting time.

            (c) Alimony, spousal support, maintenance, and child support.

            (d) Adoption.

            (e) Parentage.

            (f) Premarital, marital, and postmarital agreements.

            (3) "Collaborative family law participation agreement" means an agreement by persons to participate in a collaborative family law process.

            (4) "Collaborative family law process" means a procedure intended to resolve a collaborative family law matter without intervention by a tribunal in which persons:

            (a) Sign a collaborative family law participation agreement.

            (b) Are represented by collaborative lawyers.

            (5) "Collaborative lawyer" means a lawyer who represents a party in a collaborative family law process.

            (6) "Law firm" means:

            (a) Lawyers who practice law together in a partnership, professional corporation, sole proprietorship, limited liability company, or association.

            (b) Lawyers employed in a legal services organization, or the legal department of a corporation or other organization, or the legal department of a government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality.

            (7) "Nonparty participant" means a person, other than a party and the party's collaborative lawyer, who participates in a collaborative family law process.

            (8) "Party" means a person who signs a collaborative family law participation agreement and whose consent is necessary to resolve a collaborative family law matter.

            (9) "Person" means an individual; corporation; business trust; estate; trust; partnership; limited liability company; association; joint venture; public corporation; government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; or any other legal or commercial entity.

            (10) "Proceeding" means a judicial, administrative, arbitral, or other adjudicative process before a tribunal, including related prehearing and post-hearing motions, conferences, and discovery.

            (11) "Prospective party" means a person who discusses with a prospective collaborative lawyer the possibility of signing a collaborative family law participation agreement.

            (12) "Record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

            (13) "Related to a collaborative family law matter" means involving the same parties, transaction or occurrence, nucleus of operative fact, dispute, claim, or issue as the collaborative family law matter.

            (14) "Sign" means, with present intent to authenticate or adopt a record, either:

            (a) To execute or adopt a tangible symbol.

            (b) To attach to or logically associate with the record an electronic symbol, sound, or process.

            (15) "Tribunal" means a court, arbitrator, administrative agency, or other body acting in an adjudicative capacity that, after presentation of evidence or legal argument, has jurisdiction to render a decision affecting a party's interests in a family law matter.

            Acts 2024, No. 98, §1.