Senate Bill No. 1283, known as the Connecticut Uniform Collaborative Law Act, establishes a structured framework for collaborative law processes in Connecticut, effective October 1, 2025. The bill introduces new definitions and procedures, including terms like "collaborative law communication," "collaborative law participation agreement," and "collaborative lawyer." It outlines the requirements for a collaborative law participation agreement, which must be in writing, signed by the parties, and detail the collaborative matter and involved lawyers. The bill also specifies the initiation, conclusion, and termination conditions of the collaborative law process, allowing parties in pending tribunal proceedings to enter into such agreements, which will temporarily stay the proceedings.

Key provisions of the bill include the ability for tribunals to issue emergency orders to protect the parties' interests and the disqualification of collaborative lawyers from representing parties in related tribunal proceedings, with certain exceptions. The bill emphasizes timely and informal disclosures of relevant information, confidentiality of collaborative communications, and outlines specific conditions under which collaborative lawyers may represent parties post-collaborative process. It also clarifies the privilege of collaborative law communications, detailing exceptions where this privilege does not apply, and allows tribunals to recognize the intent of parties to enter into collaborative agreements even if specific requirements are not met. Overall, the bill aims to enhance dispute resolution in family and domestic relations law while ensuring safety and confidentiality.