(750 ILCS 90/20)
    Sec. 20. Beginning and concluding the collaborative process.
    (a) A collaborative process begins when the parties sign a collaborative process participation agreement.
    (b) A court may not order a party to participate in a collaborative process over that party's objection.
    (c) A collaborative process is concluded by:
        (1) resolution of a collaborative process matter as evidenced by a signed record of the
    
parties;
        (2) resolution of a part of the collaborative process matter, evidenced by a signed
    
record of the parties, in which the parties agree that the remaining parts of the matter will not be resolved in the process; or
        (3) termination of the process.
    (d) A collaborative process terminates:
        (1) when a party gives notice to other parties in a record that the process is ended;
        (2) when a party:
            (A) begins a proceeding related to a collaborative process matter without the
        
agreement of all parties; or
            (B) in a pending proceeding related to the matter:
                (i) initiates a pleading, motion, order to show cause, or request for a
            
conference with the court;
                (ii) requests that the proceeding be put on the court's active calendar; or
                (iii) takes similar action requiring notice to be sent to the parties;
        (3) except as otherwise provided by subsection (g), when a party discharges a
    
collaborative process lawyer or a collaborative process lawyer withdraws from further representation of a party; or
        (4) when the process no longer meets the definition of collaborative process matter.
    (e) A party's collaborative process lawyer shall give prompt notice to all other parties in a record of a discharge or withdrawal.
    (f) A party may terminate a collaborative process with or without cause.
    (g) A collaborative process continues, despite the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative process lawyer, if not later than 30 days after the date that the notice of the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative process lawyer required by subsection (e) is sent to the parties:
        (1) the unrepresented party engages a successor collaborative process lawyer; and
        (2) in a signed record:
            (A) the parties consent to continue the process by reaffirming the collaborative
        
process participation agreement;
            (B) the agreement is amended to identify the successor collaborative process lawyer;
        
and
            (C) the successor collaborative process lawyer confirms the lawyer's representation
        
of a party in the collaborative process.
    (h) A collaborative process does not conclude if, with the consent of the parties, a party requests a court to approve a resolution of the collaborative process matter or any part thereof as evidenced by a signed record.
    (i) A collaborative process participation agreement may provide additional methods of concluding a collaborative process.
(Source: P.A. 100-205, eff. 1-1-18.)