A. Before a prospective party signs a collaborative law participation agreement, a prospective collaborative lawyer shall make reasonable inquiry whether the prospective party has a history of a coercive or violent relationship with another prospective party.
§ 3315.Coercive Or Violent Relationship
Chapter 41A: Structured Settlement Protection Act of 2001 · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceRequires a collaborative lawyer to screen for a history of coercive or violent relationship between prospective parties before starting, to keep assessing it throughout the process, and to refuse to begin or continue unless the party requests it and the lawyer reasonably believes the party's safety can be adequately protected.
Full Text of § 3315
B. Throughout a collaborative law process, a collaborative lawyer reasonably and continuously shall assess whether the party the collaborative lawyer represents has a history of a coercive or violent relationship with another party.
C. If a collaborative lawyer reasonably believes that the party the lawyer represents or the prospective party who consults the lawyer has a history of a coercive or violent relationship with another party or prospective party, the lawyer may not begin or continue a collaborative law process unless:
1. The party or the prospective party requests beginning or continuing a process; and
2. The collaborative lawyer reasonably believes that the safety of the party or prospective party can be protected adequately during a process.
Amendment History
Added by Laws 2025, c. 226,s. 15, eff. 1/1/2026.
Plain-English Summary
Collaborative law depends on both sides negotiating candidly and safely, so Section 3315 builds in a screening duty. Before a party signs the participation agreement, the prospective collaborative lawyer must make reasonable inquiry into whether that party has a history of a coercive or violent relationship with another prospective party -- and the lawyer has to keep assessing that question throughout the process, not just at the start.
If the lawyer reasonably believes such a history exists, the lawyer can't begin or continue the collaborative process unless the party requests it and the lawyer reasonably believes the party's safety can be adequately protected during it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my collaborative lawyer have to ask about domestic violence before starting the process?
Yes. Section 3315 requires the prospective collaborative lawyer to make reasonable inquiry into whether the prospective party has a history of a coercive or violent relationship with the other prospective party.
Does this screening happen only once, at the start?
No. The lawyer must reasonably and continuously assess the question throughout the collaborative law process.
Can collaborative law still proceed if there's a history of abuse?
Only if the party with that history requests beginning or continuing the process, and the lawyer reasonably believes the party's safety can be adequately protected during it.
What happens if the lawyer can't be confident about safety?
The lawyer may not begin or continue the collaborative law process under those circumstances.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: domestic violence screening collaborative law oklahoma12 O.S. § 3315coercive relationship collaborative law process