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John Denny

John Denny takes Collaborative Practice leadership role

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Will serve as 2017-2018 Collaborative Practice California Board President Media contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR, Fellow PRSA 619-997-2495 or gayle@falconvalleygroup.com
(Irvine, California) – Orange County family law attorney John Denny, member and past president of Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County, was installed as president of Collaborative Practice California (CP Cal), the statewide organization for Collaborative Practice groups, at its annual conference in Redondo Beach, California on Sunday, April 30.

John Denny speaks to delegates at the 2017 Collaborative Practice California conference. Photo: David Kuroda
John Denny speaks to delegates at the 2017 Collaborative Practice California conference. Photo: David Kuroda

Individual members of the practice groups include Collaborative lawyers, mental health practitioners, financial specialists, and other professionals. The Collaborative Process is being used in family law, probate law, trusts and estates, and other civil law areas.

CP Cal’s mission is to unify, strengthen and support the Collaborative Practice community and to increase public awareness of the Collaborative Process throughout California.

“My goal during my tenure as Board President is to spread the word about the many benefits of Collaborative Practice in family law, civil matters, and trusts and estates,” said Denny. “Californians who must address legal or financial matters will benefit knowing about their Collaborative options for working through these critically important and sometimes contentious issues. They can resolve even the most difficult disputes while still preserving personal relationships with family members or business colleagues,” explained Denny.

John Denny graduated from UCLA (B.A., Economics, 1980) and Loyola Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1994). He was admitted to the California Bar (1994), U.S. District Court, Central District of California (1994), and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (1995). Denny is a Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

Denny is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, State Bar of California, Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County (CDSOC), and the International Association of Collaborative Professionals (IACP).

Denny co-authored “Ethical Issues Involving Minor’s Counsel,” published in OC Lawyer (2009), and “Some Benefits of Mediation and Collaborative Law,” OC Lawyer (2011). He served on the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Lawyers Club of Los Angeles County, including a term as President. Denny is a past President of CDSOC. He is a Founding Fellow of the Society of Fellows of the Orange County Bar Foundation.

John Denny is of counsel to Hittelman Strunk Law Group and limits his practice to Family Law Litigation, Mediation and Collaborative Law.

About Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County

Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County (CDSOC) was founded in 2003 to advise couples in Orange County about out of court options to traditional divorce litigation. Our group consists of experienced family law attorneys, licensed mental health professionals, and credentialed financial professionals, all of whom are specially trained in Collaborative Practice, mediation, and conflict resolution. Working under the Collaborative Practice model, the result is a divorce guided with respect and compassion in a non-adversarial way so families can make the best possible decisions about their future.

Orange County Collaborative Professionals Contribute Expertise at California Conference

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Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County members Diana L. Martinez (left) and John Denny will serve on the Collaborative Practice California Board of Directors for 2017-2018. Martinez is a board member; Denny will serve as President. Photo: Courtesy Cathleen Collingsworth

Twelve members of Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County contributed their professional expertise to the annual Collaborative Practice California (CP Cal) Conference XII, held in Redondo Beach, California from April 28 – 30.

Cathleen Collinsworth, a CP Cal Delegate for 2017-2018 and a workshop presenter, said, “This year’s theme of ‘Harnessing the Energy’ came true. The energy was very evident throughout the entire weekend. It is my hope those of us who attended can keep that energy going throughout the coming year.”

Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County member Scott Cramer (left) believes it’s important to work hard and play harder! Seen here with San Diego practice group member Mark Hill in a "guest appearance" with Hill’s band "No Country For Old Men."
Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County associate member Scott Cramer (left) believes it’s important to work hard and play harder! Seen here with San Diego practice group member Mark Hill in a “guest appearance” with Hill’s band “No Country For Old Men.” Photo: Courtesy Cathleen Collingsworth

Also presenting workshops were Bart Carey, Patrice Courteau, Dr. Carol Hughes, and Diana L. Martinez.

CSDOC member and Orange County based family law attorney John Denny received the gavel from outgoing CP Cal President Lisa Zonder, and will serve as CP Cal President for 2017-2018. Also serving with Denny on the board of directors is Diana L. Martinez.

CDSOC member John Denny will serve as Collaborative Practice California President for the 2017-2018 term.
Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County member John Denny will serve as Collaborative Practice California President for the 2017-2018 term. Photo: Courtesy Cathleen Collingsworth

Collinsworth expressed her desire on behalf of the conference attendees to continue collaborating together in their daily work, as well as their daily lives, and continue to educate all they meet on the value of peacemaking.

10 Best Reasons To Do Your Divorce Collaboratively

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by John R. Denny, Family Law Attorney Hittelman Strunk Law Group, LLP, Newport Beach, California

  1. The team approach helps you get through the process without going to war.

You will work with a team of legal, financial, and mental health professionals who are specifically trained in the Collaborative Process. They agree to work with you to reach a settlement outside of court.

  1. You make the decisions, not the judge.

In the Collaborative Process, the parties do not go to court. They resolve their differences through cooperative negotiation. Thus, all orders are made with both parties’ agreement.

  1. The process is less expensive than a litigated divorce.

While all cases are different, studies show that a successful Collaborative case is less expensive than a litigated case, even one which settles before trial.

  1. Coaches help you and your spouse learn to communicate in ways which can reduce the adversarial nature of the divorce.

In a full team Collaborative Divorce, each party will work with an assigned mental health professional acting as a coach. Among other things, the coach will assist the party to avoid the type of communication which will further divide the parties, and make settlement more costly and difficult.

  1. Your children’s interests are taken into account, and brought forth through a neutral child specialist.

The child specialist’s role is to be the voice of your children at the Collaborative negotiation table. The child specialist speaks to the children at age-appropriate levels. This enables both parents to have a clearer perspective on what their children really think and feel.

  1. More privacy – less of a court record.

Because you are not in court, your case does not become a public record. The only documents filed with the court are those absolutely necessary to make your agreement legal. You will not file declarations telling the world your private business.

  1. You can avoid going to court.

Because Collaborative Divorces are processed outside of court, you will not be subject to court rules, except those necessary for the court to process your judgment. You will not have to give public testimony in court. You will not have to miss work, or other important functions, to attend court on a date which may be inconvenient for you. You can go as fast or slow as you choose, and not be subject to the delays which budget shortages increasingly cause in litigated divorce cases.

  1. The process allows for more creative resolutions than the court is permitted to offer.

The court is bound by California statutes dictating what must be done in terms of property division, support, and custody. In a Collaborative Divorce, the parties are free (and assisted) to reach a result which uniquely fits their family.

  1. You will acquire skills which will enable you to more effectively co-parent after the divorce.

The Collaborative Process requires the parties to work together in order to solve the issues in their divorce. Working together is a skill which many couples facing divorce have lost. It is exactly what they will need to do in order to effectively co-parent their children after divorce. Thus, going through the process helps the parties with the skills they will need post-divorce.

  1. Result of a Collaborative Divorce: a better life after divorce.

There will be many events for the rest of your lives which a couple will both want to attend post-divorce without making it awkward for everyone else who is there. When you have children, these events include graduations, weddings, and grandchildren events.

Even when you do not have children, there are often overlaps in family and friends. Events with these people can be much less awkward when the divorce process itself has not driven the parties even further apart. This may be the best – and most lasting – reason to do your divorce collaboratively.