Steven Goldman, (Lawyer)
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Growing up as a child of divorced parents, I know how difficult the divorce process can be. I also know that sometimes it is necessary and even beneficial to families living in an uncomfortable environment. Without exception, divorce is stressful and emotionally taxing. Litigation, which is often the first (and only) process most attorneys turn to for their clients, only exacerbates that stress. By pitting former spouses against one another, litigation practically demands that parties destroy any semblance of a familial relationship in order to “succeed” in court. What most people fail to realize (until it is too late), is that this “success” does not satisfy any of their initial goals: 1) Most people want the divorce process to be quick, but litigation can take years; 2) Most people want the divorce process to be cheap, but litigation can costs tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars; 3) Most people want to guarantee the best possible result; but litigation leaves all decisions in the hands of a Judge, a stranger that cannot possibly understand what is best for you or your children’s future. Collaborative Law provides parties with the ability to take control over their lives and determine the outcome of their individual case. By collaborating and cooperating with one another, parties are able to settle their disputes in a manner that they believe is beneficial for each member of the family; not only their own. Collaborative Law also provides a forum to brainstorm and be creative in crafting settlements that could not possibly be achieved through the limited authority of the court.
Collaborative Services
When I graduated law school, I wanted to litigate because it was fun and exciting. It appealed to my competitive nature. However, I quickly realized that while “winning” provided me with personal satisfaction, it was not always in the client’s best interest. Even when a client went home ecstatic about a Judge’s decision in his or her favor, that client was still left with the destructive aftermath caused by litigation: two spiteful parents that cannot communicate effectively; tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have gone towards a child’s college education, gone because it was spent on attorneys; lost relationships with close friends and in-laws. The list goes on. Even when litigating, I found that my best results were often obtained negotiating a settlement – not because my client received everything that he or she wanted, but because the parties worked together to resolve the issues in a way that each felt was best for the family. It is only then that I started to become truly satisfied with the results I was achieving. Collaborative Law allows me to take this method of practice to another level. It provides a forum for the parties to be open with one another and be considerate of the other person’s interests. It also allows the attorneys to work together and be creative in crafting the best possible settlement. When all is said and done, my goal in every case is for the parties to resolve their issues civilly and professionally, and for them to do so in a way that promotes a positive relationship for the future. Collaborative Law is a perfect tool for achieving that result.
Licenses
Virginia (2014)
Maryland (2015)
District of Columbia (2012)
New York (2009)
Eastern District of New York, Federal District Court (2009)
Southern District of New York, Federal District Court (2009) ,J.D.
Professional Activities
CURRENT:
Member, Virginia State Bar Association
Member, Fairfax Bar Association (Family Law Section; Young Lawyers Section)
Mentor, Fairfax Bar Association Devonshire Mentorship Program
Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
Member, New York State Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association
PRIOR:
Collaborative Practice Training
| Year | Course Title | Instructor | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic/ Introductory Collaborative Law or Interdisciplinary Collaborative Team Training. | |||
| 2015 | Collaborative Practice Basic Training | Suzanne L. Latimer, Esq. | 13 |
| 30-Hr Interest-Based Negotiation & Mediation Skills | |||
| 2017 | Mediation & Interest-Based Negotiation Skill Training | Barbara Burr, J.D. and Lisa Herrick, Ph.D. | 30 |
| Additional 15 hours Intermediate/ Advanced interest-based negotiation, communication skills, collaborative, or basic professional coach training | |||
| 2019 | Collaborative Boot Camp: An Experiential Day of Refining Skills and Deepening Team Cohesion (12th 11-11-19) | Barbara Burr, JD & Lisa Herrick, PhD | 5.5 |
| 2016 | The Top Five: Common Missteps Across Cultures and Gender | Nina Meierding | 1.5 |
| 2016 | The Challenge of Teams | Yuval Berger, MSW and Nancy Cameron, LLB | 7 |
| 2016 | Meeting with Clients to Choose their Process: An 8-Step Structured Approach | Brian Galbraith, LLB and Sue Cook, MEd | 1.5 |
| Annual 4 hours collaborative continuing education (basic, intermediate, or advanced) | |||
| 2024 | Managing the Negotiation Within | David Hoffman | 4 |
| 2024 | Litigating Collaboratively | Tashina Gorgone, Susan Buniva Wesley GreenSteven Goldman, | 1 |
| 2024 | Avoiding Splitting the Team in Collaborative Practice (17th VaCP) 11-11-24 | Loretta “Lori” Gephart, M.A. | 4 |
| 2023 | The Lost Art of Asking | Jacinta Gallant | 6 |
| 2022 | Targeted Tools to Resolve Complex Collaborative Impasses | Carl Mitlehner, Sue Soler, Jennifer Bradley | 1.5 |
| 2022 | Managing Challenges in the Collaborative Divorce Process: Cognitive Bias, Mental Health, High Conflict Personality Disorders, and Addictions | Dr. Beth I. Wilner, Ph.D. | 6 |
| 2022 | If You See Something, Say Something - Navigating Complex Asset Matters During the Collaborative Process | Jamie Blum and Jordan Egert | 1.5 |
| 2022 | Collaborative Clients: When kumbaya is not enough | Barbara Burr, Esq. | 1.5 |
| 2022 | A Parent's Mental Illness Should Not Prevent a Successful Parenting Plan | Stephanie Smith, Esq and Patrice Garver, PhD | 1.5 |
| 2021 | Virginia's Uniform Collaborative Law Act | Jennifer Bradley, Anne White, Karen Keyes | 1.5 |
| 2021 | Transform Them | Jonathan Foust, MA, CSA | 1.5 |
| 2021 | Strategies for Streamlining Collaborative Practice | Jennifer Bradley, Lynn Fletcher, Natalie Goldberg, Jane Ochsman Rowny | 1.5 |
| 2021 | No Justice, No Peace | Barbara Burr, Esq. and Natalie Goldberg, LCSW | 1.5 |
| 2021 | Maximizing the Role of a Financial Neutral in Unprecedented Times (14th VaCP) | Jane Rowny, CPA, CFP®, CDFA®, Jamie Blum, CPA, CDFA®, & Jordan Egert, CPA, CFE, CDFA® | 2 |
| 2021 | Introductory Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice Training | CPTI: I was one of the Trainers | 12 |
| 2021 | Changes, Practical Applications and Issues now that the UCLA Statute has been Enacted (14th VaCP) | Teresa Cole, JD, Karen Keyes, JD & Cheryl Smith, JD | 1.25 |
| 2021 | Beyond Spread Sheets and Cash Flow | Debbie May, CPA, CFP, CDFA and Robin Taub, JD | 1.5 |
| 2021 | Adult ADHD in Collaborative Practice | Kate Scharff, Psychotherapist | 1.5 |
| 2021 | A Deeper Dive into the Role of the Child Specialist (14th VaCP) | Natalie Goldberg, LCSW & Lisa Herrick, PhD | 2.75 |
| 2020 | YIKES – MY CLIENT IS RECENTLY SOBER”: INTEGRATING SUBSTANCE ABUSE RECOVERY INTO A PARENTING PLAN | Natalie Goldberg, LCSW and George Young, LCSW, MAC | 1.5 |
| 2020 | The Psychological and Ethical Dimensions of Collaborative Practice | David A. Hoffman, JD | 6 |
| 2020 | The New Normal | Steven Goldman and Patrice Garver | 1 |
| 2020 | Prenups, the Collaborative Way | CPNV: Michael McHugh and Lynn Fletcher | 1.5 |
| 2020 | Impacts During COVID-19 | CPNV: Lisa Herrick, Natalie Goldberg, Sue Soler, Jennifer Bradley & Grant Moher | 1.5 |
| 2020 | Disclosure? Distraction? Denial? Dunno. Addressing Full Disclosure of Ambiguous Adultery in Collaborative Divorce | Steven Goldman and David Ginsberg | 1.5 |
| 2020 | Cash, Covid, and Collaboration: Financial considerations for assisting your clients | Jordan Egert and Jane Ochsman Rowny | 1 |
| 2019 | Women & Financial Wellness: Beyond the Bottom Line | Peter Gorman and Rodney Brandon | 1.5 |
| 2019 | What's IACP Got To Do With It? | Chris Farish, JD | .5 |
| 2019 | UCLA Coming to Virginia Soon?! | Karen Keyes and Teresa Cole | 1.5 |
| 2019 | The Space Between | Adele D'Ari, Paul Smollar | 1.5 |
| 2019 | Managing Client Expectations about the Collaborative Process | Jennifer Bradley, Debbie Beach, Caroline Girgis, Dwayne Grady | 1.5 |
| 2019 | Blending Worlds: Complexities of Multiculturalism and the Collaborative Divorce Model | Theopia Jackson, Ph.D. | 5.5 |
| 2019 | ASD/Neuro-diversity in the Family | Jamell White, Ph.D., LCSW-C | 1.5 |
| 2019 | A Collaborative Case Study | Jennifer Bradley, Lynn Fletcher, Lisa Herrick | 1.5 |
| 2018 | Working Creatively with Conflict | Debbie Beach, Patrice Garver, and Debbie Nackman | 1 |
| 2018 | Tools to Understand your Divorcing Client's Money Personality | Erika W. Schleifman, CFP, CDFA | 1 |
| 2018 | Spiritual Journeys in a Material World: Thoughts about Spirituality for Divorce Professionals | Larry Gaughan | 1 |
| 2018 | Divorce Through the Developmental Lens | Lisa Herrick, PhD and Kate Scharff | 1 |
| 2018 | Collaborative TEAM protocols: How the TEAM establishes an environment of thinking and reasoning | Christine Hissong and Mary Szpanka | 1 |
| 2016 | Forgive for Good | Fred Luskin, PhD | 1 |
| 2016 | Anatomy of a Modest Means Collaborative Case: Streamlining the Process | Joryn Jenkins, JD; Randy J. Heller, PhD; Nancy Cameron, LLB; Deirdre Severide, LLB; and Merille Miller | 3 |