My approach to family law issues is as a problem solver. The collaborative process is based on creative, safe, problem solving and is an excellent way to resolve issues in all settings, including family law issues.
I have been involved with Collaborative Law for many years and quite frankly, it is a welcome change from litigating cases, which is an inefficient way of problem solving. Although I still litigate, I do strongly encourage clients to consider the collaborative process as a way to resolve their issues.
CURRENT:
Member, Alexandria Bar Foundation
Board of Directors, Legal Services of Northern Virginia, 2003-current
Virginia State Bar Committee on Fee Dispute Resolution, Alexandria Panel Chair, 2004-17. member now
PRIOR:
President, Alexandria Bar Association 2004-2005 (President Elect, Treasurer in prior years)
Virginia Bar Association Community Service Executive Committee, 2003-07
2006 Virginia State Bar Local Bar Leader of the Year
2001 LSNV Pro Bono Attorney Award
Named to Super Lawyers annually 2007-2022
2008, 2013, 2018 named on of Virginia's Legal Elite
2015-16 Washingtonian Magazine Top Lawyer
2014-22 Best Lawyers. US News & World Report
Numerous CLE lectures on family law topics, especially retirement benefits issues
2011 Virginia Leaders in the Law honoree
Chair, Beat The Odds Scholarship Program for the Alexandria Bar Assn 2004-05
Year | Course Title | Instructor | Hours |
---|---|---|---|
Basic/ Introductory Collaborative Law or Interdisciplinary Collaborative Team Training. | |||
2003 | Basic Collaborative Law Training | Palliser Conflict Resolution,Inc | 16 |
30-Hr Interest-Based Negotiation & Mediation Skills | |||
2010 | Mediation and Interest Based Negotiation | CPTI | 30 |
Additional 15 hours Intermediate/ Advanced interest-based negotiation, communication skills, collaborative, or basic professional coach training | |||
2013 | Everything You Wanted to Know about Divorce Tax | CPNV | 1 |
2012 | Advanced Training, Unique Approaches in Collaborative Law | CDRP | 6 |
2006 | Intermediate Training | Intermediate Training | 8 |
Annual 4 hours collaborative continuing education (basic, intermediate, or advanced) | |||
2024 | Triggers that Make Attorneys Protective of Clients, and What Is ‘Zealous Advocacy’ in Collaborative Cases? | CPNV | 1.5 |
2024 | Money and Emotions | CPNV | 1.5 |
2024 | IMPASSE AND DEADLOCK: OUR MONSTERS OF THE DEEP Refreshing and Refining Our Skills For Navigation and Escape | CPNV | 1.5 |
2024 | Avoiding Splitting the Team in Collaborative Practice (17th VaCP) 11-11-24 | Loretta “Lori” Gephart, M.A. | 4 |
2023 | When a Collaborative Case Goes to Trial—And Is Appealed | CPNV | 1.5 |
2023 | What Collaborative Practitioners Should Know About Retirement and QDROs | CPNV | 1.5 |
2023 | Drafting Effective Parenting Plans | CPNV | 1.5 |
2023 | Colaborative Pros should Know about Retirement qdros | cpnv | 1.5 |
2022 | Understanding the 5 Conflict Modes at Play in Our Mediation and Collaborative Cases | CPNV | 1.5 |
2022 | Divorcing your spouse, but staying married to Uncle Sam | CPNV | 1.5 |
2022 | Collaborative Clients: When Kumbaya is not Enough | CPNV | 1.5 |
2022 | A Parent’s Mental Illness Should Not Prevent a Successful Parenting Plan | CPNV Garver Smith | 1.5 |
2021 | VA Uniform Collaborative Act | CPNV | 1.5 |
2021 | Understanding Domestic Violence and the Challenges in Getting It Right | CPNV | 1.5 |
2021 | Should Virginia Create a Presumption of Shared Physical Custody? | CPNV | 1.5 |
2021 | ADULT ADHD IN COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE: A POWERFUL, UNDER-RECOGNIZED X FACTOR | Kate Scharff, Psychotherapist, CPNV | 1.5 |
2020 | The Psychological and Ethical Dimensions of Collaborative Practice | David A. Hoffman, Collaborative Attorney & Mediator | 6 |
2020 | My client is recently sober: integrating substance abuse into pareting plan | CPNV | 1.5 |
2020 | Cash, Covid, and Collaboration: Financial considerations for assisting your clients | Jordan Egert and Jane Ochsman Rowny | 1.5 |
2019 | What's IACP Got To Do With It? | Chris Farish, JD | .5 |
2019 | Intermediate/Advanced Collaborative Boot Camp | Barbara Burr, JD & Lisa Herrick, PhD | 5.5 |
2018 | What High Earning Professionals do Differently | Sylvia Gairibaldi | 1 |
2018 | Diversity & Collaborative Practice | Reynolds | 1 |
2018 | Creating Success for Large Practice Groups | Fancher, Evans, Piff | 1 |
2018 | Civil CP in search of the Tipping Point | Zeytoonian | 1 |
2017 | Creating the Conditions for Growth | Scharff/Herrick | 6 |
2016 | Public Education Outreach for Practice Groups | Robbins/Fancher/Trigg | 1 |
2016 | Practice Group Development Managing Difficult Conversations | Cheek/Rosenbaum/Throm | 1 |
2016 | Integrating Financial Professionals into Your Practice Group | Burge/Daigle/Richardson | 1 |
2016 | Creating & Implementing Access to Collaborative Program | Hirsch/O'Keefe | 1 |
2016 | Counseling Clients through Bad News | Aaron | 4 |
2014 | Breaking Down Barriers to Support | CPTI | 6 |
2013 | Collaborative Ethics | CPNV | 3 |
2010 | Team Training | CPTI | 21 |