Legal Services Offered
Mediation/Consulting:
Mediation is a voluntary process where the parties make all decisions themselves. As a mediator, I act as a respectful, knowledgeable neutral to help you make decisions together based on the reality you face and your own and each other’s views and interests Whether you are working together on a premarital agreement, an agreement during marriage, a divorce or "marital settlement" agreement, or on a non-marital dispute, I can help you work together to find resolution. I am there to help you negotiate a fair and equitable agreement that serves you better than your alternative, usually litigation. I explain how the law would apply to your circumstances so you can consider that information in weighing what feels fair and right to you.
In the role of a Consulting Attorney to someone in mediation, I help you understand the law, your issues, and what might be in your best interests as you work through the process of reaching agreement. My goal is to support you in areas where you may not feel confident, on an as-needed basis, and to review any proposed mediated agreements with you before you commit to them.
Collaboration:
Collaborative law is a team approach to reaching a fair and equitable agreement. The parties each have an attorney, but they work with their respective attorneys together, often with the help of a therapist coach, perhaps a financial advisor, and a child specialist where there are minor children. The spouses share the cost of neutral experts to get the targeted input they need to make decisions that are best for their family. To ensure that all parties feel safe about openly sharing information and interests, the parties and attorneys agree that the attorney representation ends if a party initiates litigation. The goal of the collaborative team is to help the spouses reach a solid agreement that each spouse is satisfied with and which serves the whole family.
Uncontested Dissolution:
Many couples agree about getting a divorce and feel they can reach a settlement on their own without contested hearings at court, but they don’t know where to start. If they don’t choose to work together in a mediation or collaborative setting, one spouse usually takes the lead on getting the work done. That spouse shoulders the responsibility for ensuring that the settlement agreement they reach is fair and reasonable, that it covers everything they need to settle, and that the process and substantial paperwork is completed correctly. When you are that spouse you can come to my office for the help you need. I explain the process, what decisions need to be made and how to make them; I assist with the mandatory financial disclosure documents; and I guide you in negotiating and preparing a settlement offer to your spouse based on your agreements. I can also prepare and submit all of the required court documents, or review them with you if you choose to prepare them yourself.
Family Law Advice & Counsel:
I am always glad to sit down with those people who have questions about how the law applies to their family circumstances. Clients come to my office to discuss their concerns and questions about getting married, about protecting themselves in their current marriage, or because they are thinking about ending their marriage and want to understand what that would look like. People naturally want to know how long it takes, how the money and possessions are valued and divided, how divorced parents support and share the care of their children, whether they might receive or have to pay spousal support, and finally how much it will cost and who pays for the divorce. There are no one-word answers to these questions of course, because each family’s circumstances are unique. I can, however, give you information and about these issues and help you understand how the rules apply to your specific situation.