My Dedication To You

Divorce is an event that has been compared to the death of a loved one. The process of recovering from such a loss is filled with much emotion, worry, anger, and grief. I have nearly 40 years of professional experience representing thousands of clients in divorce cases. I have witnessed the trauma and financial consequences of divorce, both of which are intensified when the parties don’t have the assistance of an experienced and qualified mediator. For over twenty-five years, I have worked as a mediator for couples who are getting divorced. Through mediation, I offer a more civilized and more productive way to address the dilemmas facing couples who have decided to separate.

In 1995 I was admitted as a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. I have been an arbiter through the American Arbitration Association since the 1990’s. I have been recognized with the award as a “Colorado Super Lawyer” in family law since 2006.

More recently, I became intrigued with the concept of a collaborative approach to dispute resolution. I attended numerous seminars and training sessions to become trained in the collaborative model, and was a founding member of the Pikes Peak Collaborative Law Association. I have also been involved in the training of others in a collaborative approach to family law. In 2010, after decades of providing mediation services, I took 40 hours of additional training to become a “certified” mediator.

For the past decade, I have had the honor of being retained as a Master and/or Arbiter in numerous complex family law cases. I found that many litigants were strongly motivated to avoid a “court imposed” solution, and that as often as not, the litigants simply needed to have their side of the story heard. The constraints of the legal system do not allow litigants to express what may be the essential cause of the dispute. The formalities of court often cause increased frustration because of the time constraints and other limitations required in formal litigation.

Having the ability to present your concerns in the relaxed and confidential environment that I offer in mediation is a benefit that cannot be under emphasized.

I have litigated hundreds of cases in family law. I have established numerous legal precedents in the field of family law. Yet, despite my success in these arenas, I am most challenged and most gratified when I can be of assistance in helping a family transition through a mediated resolution of their domestic situation.

If you and your spouse are committed to finding a fair solution to the devastating events of separation and divorce, you will find that the services I provide will be:

Affordable,

Efficient,

Effective,

Confidential and

Result Oriented.

I will work with your schedules, educate you about your choices, and guide you and your spouse through the process of obtaining written agreements that will be approved and adopted as a court order with your divorce decree.

My goal is to minimize the financial and emotional expense of separation and divorce, so that both parties can begin new chapters in their lives that are less stressful, more amicable, and tailored to what works best for the entire family.

Whenever a divorce or legal separation is filed in El Paso County, the court requires the parties to participate in a mediation session before they are allowed to go to trial. The parties are allowed to choose the mediation services offered in the courthouse, known as the “Office of Dispute Resolution”, or to retain a private mediator such as myself.

Should you select my services to help mediate a resolution to your case, I will provide the following services:

1.) Help gather the information that is required;

2.) Explore each party’s position and suggest various alternative solutions;

3.) Suggest expanded provisions to include in your final agreement that honor and help to enforce the agreements that the parties have reached;

4.) Refer the parties to respected experts when the assistance of additional experts is reasonable;

5.) Permit the parties to consult with separate attorneys of their choosing to review the written agreements or settlement documents before they are formally signed and filed with the court;

6.) Assist the parties to obtain a decree (court order) of legal separation or dissolution of marriage, where the written parenting plans and settlement agreements are approved and adopted as a court order;

7.) Assist the parties to prepare and exchange the necessary “transfer” documents including deeds, titles, and other paperwork that is necessary to finalize the agreements.

If you and your spouse are interested in retaining me as your mediator, I welcome you to contact me to arrange a mutually convenient time to get started. I work with parties who represent themselves and with parties who are represented by attorneys.

Divorce and separation are hard enough. You deserve the opportunities I offer to resolve this major life event with dignity and fairness, and without the extra cost and constraints imposed by the court system.