Areas Of Practice

Current Practice Areas (see Home page and what follows)

1. Matrimonial & Collaborative Divorce (New)

Divorce (Contested and Uncontested)
(New) Collaborative Divorce
Separation
Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements
Post Divorce Matters
Divorce Mediation
Orders Of Protection
Wage Garnishments
Income Execution

2. Family Law & Collaborative Family Law (New)

Custody
Visitation
Paternity
Adoption
Relocation
Guardianship
Child Support and Maintenance
Wage Garnishments and Income Executions
Grandparent's Rights And Third Party Rights
Mediation
Domestic Violence
Orders Of Protection (Defending Against & Obtaining)
For more information on Collaborative Law, click HERE

3. Accidents (Personal Injury)

Accidents Causing:

Death or Injury
Defective Products and Machinery
Auto Motorcycle, Bicycle and R.V. Accidents
Slip and Fall Injuries
Construction and Farm Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents
Brain, Head, Neck, Back and Spinal Injuries
Dog Bites and Playground Accidents
Fractured Bones, Burns and Scars
Train, Bus, Plan Accidents
Food Poisoning

4. Mediation

5. Malpractice

Medical
Dental
Failure To Diagnose
Misdiagnoses
Birth Injuries
Surgical/Physician/Hospital/Anesthesia/Nursing Negligence
Wrong Prescriptions

6. Wills, Estates, Elder Law

7. Domestic Violence

8. Criminal, DWI, DUI

9. Traffic & Speeding

10. Corporation And Business Law

Contracts
Forming & Disolving Business Entities
Corporations
Partnerships
L.L.C.
L.L.P.

11. General And Trial Law

12. Real Estate

13. Collaborative Law (Divorce & Family Law)(New)

The spouses/parents are encouraged to work honestly, cooperatively and practically to create a settlement that is a "win-win" solution for everyone, a solution that meets their legitimate needs and the needs of their children

What Is Collaborative Law?

Collaborative Law is a cooperative, voluntary conflict resolution process. The essence of the process is the belief that it is in the best interests of the parties and their families to avoid adversarial proceedings, to resolve their differences with minimum conflict and to work together to create shared solutions to the issues. The goal of Collaborative Law is to maximize the settlement options to both parties, to increase the abilities of the parties to communicate in a post-separation relationship and to minimize, if not eliminate, the negative economic, social and emotional consequences to families that have broken down.

By choosing the Collaborative Law process, the parties and their lawyers commit to settling the case without court involvement. The participants agree to devote all of their efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement.

Collaborative Law relies on an atmosphere of honesty, cooperation, integrity and professionalism geared toward the future well-being of the family members.

Collaborative Law utilizes informal discussions and joint conferences to settle the outstanding issues.

Collaborative Law requires each party to identify their actual needs and true interests in resolving their concerns. Where such interests differ, all participants use their best efforts to create proposals that meet the fundamental needs of both parties in order to reach a settlement of all issues.

How Does Collaborative Law Work?

In the court system, parties are presumed to be on opposite sides. Once spouses become plaintiffs and defendants, the parties too often see their litigation as a battle to be waged with a winner and a looser. Because of the adversarial nature of court, litigants can lose sight of the reality that most family members, even as they are reorganizing their lives through separation and divorce, have common goals:

• To be heard and understood
• To protect themselves emotionally 
• To minimize the harmful effect on the children
• To protect their financial resources
• To reorganize their lives with a minimum amount of confusion, stress and expense

Approximately 95% of matrimonial cases settle without a trial. With court , the parties are set up as opponents from the beginning. The language is combative: “custody battles,” “the opposition,” and taking “hard-line positions.” In the court system, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, make hurtful claims against one another. They give very personal and private details to their attorneys and to the court.

In the adversarial system, attorneys are required to zealously advocate for their clients and their positions. This may result in losing sight of what will be left, both emotionally and financially, once the divorce comes to a litigated conclusion. Parties are locked into adversarial roles in litigation, resulting in the loss of ability to communicate and cooperate. When the court case is over, the litigants have not learned to respect one another or work together. They have chosen, instead, to disparage one another and fight.

The collaborative attorneys help the parties face distress over the breakup of their relationship appropriately, identify real interests and remember the need of children to be kept our of the middle. The attorneys advocate for their clients, advising them of their legal rights. Attorneys and parties insulate the children as much as possible from the adult issues so that the effect of the separation/divorce is minimized for the children.

The Goals Of The Collaborative Law Attorneys Are:

• To help the parties communicate calmly with each other and express needs, interests and emotions appropriately.
• To ask questions, help the parties hear each other and offer creative and workable alternatives.
• To provide a safe place and organized framework for the parties to discuss each issue and reach agreement.
• To prepare and file all written paperwork for the court.

Benefits Of The Collaborative Approach:

• You control the process and the outcome, not the lawyers or the courts.
• You insulate your children from the negative effects of a relationship breakdown.
• You avoid lengthy and devastating legal battles.
• You save significant time and money.
• The parties involved achieve a fair result that addresses their needs and concerns.

For Whom Is Collaborative Law A Good Idea?

Not every attorney will want or be able to practice collaborative law. Not every client will be willing to give up the adversarial contest. For many attorneys, however, their trial court experience has led to a belief that the commitment of their skill and time to a litigated case often does not achieve an outcome which is cost effective or even a good solution for their clients’ problems. Similarly, many clients are looking for experienced legal counsel, knowledgeable guidance and skilled advocacy, but do not want litigation. For these attorneys and for these clients, Collaborative Law is an excellent option.

Is Collaborative Law For You?

• Are you both determined to behave in a respectful, ethical manner towards one another in working out the terms of your separation instead of engaging in recrimination or revenge?
• Do you both value a negotiated solution that meets the legitimate needs of each of you after the breakup?
• Will both of you make a commitment towards creative problem-solving to find solutions based on your actual needs, not abstract rights?

Issues Concerning Children

In resolving issues about sharing the enjoyment of and responsibility for children, the participants make every effort to reach amicable solutions that put the children’s best interests first. The participants agree to act quickly to resolve differences related to the children ad to promote a caring, loving and involved relationship between the children and both parents. They agree to insulate the children from the dispute by refraining from making any negative comments about the other parent and maintaining an attitude of respect and cooperation toward the other.

Negotiations in Good Faith

The process, even with full and honest disclosure, involves vigorous good-faith negotiation by each party. Parties use their best efforts to create proposals that meet the fundamental needs of family members. Although the likely outcome of a litigated result may be discussed, none of the participants will use threats of going to court as a way to force capitulation and settlement by the other.

Termination of Collaborative Law Process

Either party may terminate the Collaborative Law process for any reason by giving written notice of termination to the other participants. The decision to take a court action automatically terminates the Collaborative Law process and the involvement of your lawyers, such that you will have to start from scratch.

Start Your Collaborative Process Now:
Speak to your spouse about Collaborative Law for divorce or family court matters, and share the information contained on this Web page.

Speak to your lawyer about choosing the Collaborative Law approach.