Collaborative Law And Mediation Blog
February 20, 2017
How Mediation Works For Children
With children, it’s all about the story. . . and what is seen . . . and movement.
Even a golf course has a story, I have come to learn. Tobacco Road, Caladonia, True Blue and Tot Hill Farm were designed by Mike Strantz. Mike Strantz was a golf course designer… Read full article
November 8, 2016
All Things Mediation
I have come back to my love for poetry. It was not a deliberate move; rather, it happened during my Mediation work. The feeling and depth of reflection which comes in my Mediation work took me back to the Fall of 1979 when I had Professor Anne Parten for English Literature at Washington & Jefferson College. I can still hear Professor Parten reciting poetry in Davis Memorial Hall and letting my mind travel with the words, and being cognizant of the feelings which the quoted passages stirred within me. Read full article
February 6, 2016
“Tell Me What You See. I See The Hearts.”
When I mediate or collaborate, I find myself going back in time and hearing the question, “what do you see?” This question has shaped my approach, my “lens,” that I use in my divorce and child custody work. It has also allowed for my answer, “I see the hearts.”
Let me explain. In my legal career, it began with clerking for a Family Judge and seeing families in the court system fighting – fighting over support, fighting over custody and fighting with each other. I saw and heard a lot of fighting and scared children in the courthouse. Read full article
October 25, 2015
How Does Divorce Mediation & Custody Mediation Work
This is a common question asked my clients. So, I thought it timely to give some additional information about Divorce Mediation & Custody Mediation. Read full article
September 15, 2015
Announcing My New South Hills Office And Weekend Hours
I am very excited to announce the opening of my new South Hills office at 61 McMurray Road, Brookside Two, Suite 402, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 . My main downtown Pittsburgh office remains at Three Gateway Center. I also added Saturday hours, 9:00am until noon at both offices. Read full article
August 20, 2015
Is There Hope During A Divorce?
I Say There Can, And There Must Be Hope.
Hope and divorce in the same sentence? Doesn’t everything stop in a divorce? Aren’t all divorces the same? My answers to these questions are, “YES,” “NO” and “NO.”
Yes, hope during a divorce. Start with the premise that there are no pre-determined “rules” in a divorce. Rather, think about your divorce as a process which will be governed by what is best for you, your spouse and your children, that is, your “family.” Read full article
August 5, 2015
What Do Our Children Teach Us About A Divorce
The following quote resonates with me, and defines how I approach my child custody and divorce mediation work:
While we try to teach our CHILDREN
all about LIFE
Our CHILDREN teach us
what LIFE is all about
by, Angela Schwindt
When I reflect on this quote, and my work with child custody matters and the development of parenting plans… read full article
July 15, 2015
As a collaborative attorney and mediator, the thought of having clients start thinking about the future is very fulfilling and comforting to me. Yet, I realize that to clients, this often seems very odd and is regarded as an unusual proposition. Certainly, it is important to gain an understanding of the past and how the couple and children functioned as a family. There must, however, be a balance between the past and the ongoing and future needs of the family… read full article