• Marital & Couples
  
• Custody & Visitation
  
• Family (including Parent & Child (all ages) issues, Sibling disputes, Elder Care)
  
• Divorce

Facilitative Family and Marital Mediator, trained at the New York Peace Institute
Divorce Mediator, trained by renown mediator and lawyer Bob Kirkman Collins

Member of two of the leading organizations in NY for family and divorce mediation:  Family & Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York and the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation

As a skilled and effective litigator, my commitment to the best interests of my clients drives me to explore feasible and potentially more productive alternatives to litigation. One such alternative is Mediation, a process whereby a trained mediator helps disputing individuals negotiate an acceptable, workable and agreeable resolution to their issues. 

Mediation empowers the parties in conflict to come up with workable solutions on their own --> turning Conflict into COOPERATION. It confirms their own competence and authority to make decisions for themselves. The mediation process belongs to the individuals.  The decisions made are their own coming from their respective perceptions of the conflict, respective and mutual understandings of the issues, and the desire to meet their respective needs and concerns.

As a family mediator, my role is to help the disputing family members communicate with and to each other what their respective perspectives, needs and interests are in such a way that their discussions lead to an acceptable resolution of their conflict. I do not advise, do not make or assert judgments, nor decide any issues. I operate as a neutral and impartial facilitator who creates a safe environment for relatives to have the necessary but difficult discussions to move forward with healthier relationships. I utilize my knowledge of the law, litigation process and adversarial system to inform the individuals where applicable of how things might be done in court. In mediation, individuals are free and empowered to make decisions based on their specific circumstances in light of their understanding of decisions that may or may not be made in court.

In Divorce Mediation, I help spouses agree on the terms of their separation agreement or divorce settlement.  I assist them in identifying and clarifying the numerous issues involved in divorce (e.g. parenting (custody and visitation), property/asset distribution, child and/or spousal support),  and, empower and encourage them to together resolve those issues to best meet their respective needs. Divorce Mediation is significantly quicker, less costly, and less emotionally taxing and harmful to families than the caustic, lengthy, and often unpredictable adversarial process of divorce litigation. 

In Marital Mediation, I help couples define and clarify the issues of contention for them at home, and, apply the tried and true techniques of divorce mediation to help them negotiate new approaches to resolving those issues.  Couples are empowered to develop productive patterns for communicating and problem solving. I offer them tools to explore new perspectives of a problem and assist them in gathering and sharing information to negotiate practical and pragmatic solutions for moving closer to happily ever after.