Mediation
I’ll meet with you and your spouse/partner together. While not taking sides between you, I’ll give you all the information you need to make good decisions, and guide you to a fair, agreed-on settlement. Having done this work for over 25 years, I will give you expert advice on what the court is looking for, how to save a lot of money between you by leveraging your support and tax-related options, what kinds of parenting arrangements seem to work best in divorce, your best options on keeping vs. selling the marital home, structuring support fairly and wisely in your settlement, and so on. Mediation is typically the quickest, least combative and most cost-effective solution for most cases.
And, since I’m an attorney, I can also draft and file all necessary documents at court: neither of you will have to miss time from work to go to court.
Collaborative law
In collaborative law, you, your spouse/partner and both attorneys all commit to settle the terms of the divorce without litigation. As your collaborative lawyer, I will first get to know you and your priorities, so that I can be an effective advocate for you in the collaborative process. Then, both spouses and their lawyers will all meet to discuss the issues—in person and by phone—until all terms of a full agreement are reached. After that, the necessary documents will be drafted, signed and filed at court. Though you and your spouse will each have your own attorney/advocate, you will avoid much of the cost, wasted time and bitterness too often seen in litigated divorces.
Negotiation
Fewer than 5% of divorces wind up being decided by a judge. Most are settled by the spouses through their lawyers. As your negotiating attorney, I will work with you to help keep your expenses low and your case out of litigation, if possible, without settling for less than you deserve. I’ll start by meeting with you to understand what’s important to you. Working with you, I’ll negotiate a settlement with the other attorney, advising you throughout on the merits of each portion of a deal. I’ll also level with you on what might or might not be worth fighting over.
Other services
advice in mediation
If you mediate your divorce or family dispute, you should consult your own separate attorney before finalizing the terms of your agreement. If I have not served as your mediator, I can act as your legal advisor.
As a strong advocate in mediation for over 25 years, I will strive to support the work that you and your soon-to-be ‘ex’ have done. At the same time, I’ll ensure that you understand how fair or unfair the agreement is to you, and that you haven’t overlooked any hidden traps or other significant consequences of your decisions.
Drafting
Whether or not I serve as your mediator, I will be glad to draft your divorce or family-law-related legal agreement. I will craft clear, comprehensive documents for you, in plain English, leaving no loopholes, ambiguities or unresolved issues. Mediators and attorneys (as well as many clients) highly praise my legal agreements, saying that they are among the clearest and most comprehensive settlement agreements they have ever seen.
mediation mentorship
I have trained and mentored mediators for decades. As your mentor, I will help you work through any problems or concerns you might have, whether process-related or legal in nature - from how to handle complex issues in mediations, to how to draft and file documents, to how to set up and grow your practice.