Valerie Botter is an experienced trial attorney, mediator, and arbitrator for divorce, custody, and other family law matters in Hampshire and Franklin counties. Whether the issue is child-related, financial, or interpersonal, Valerie will explore different possibilities for settlement but if settlement is not possible, Valerie is equally skilled in the courtroom. Although a zealous advocate, Valerie is committed to children’s emotional well being at all times.

Valerie is a graduate of Oberlin College and Northeastern University School of Law. After law school, she served as a law clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court and began private practice in family law in Boston. In 1995, Valerie was granted fellowship status in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a national organization of experienced domestic relations practitioners. Valerie moved to Western Massachusetts in 1990 and opened her practice shortly thereafter. She was a principal in the firm of Schmidt & Botter for seven years until returning to her own practice in 2001.

In addition to serving as a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), Valerie has served as a manager on the Board of Managers for the Massachusetts Chapter of the AAML and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Hampshire County Bar Association (HCBA). She is also a current member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, the HCBA, and the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts. Valerie helped develop and for many years managed the Hampshire County Bar Association Conciliation Program, an Alternative Dispute Resolution Program for Hampshire Probate and Family Court that was approved by the Trial Court. Valerie also provides legal services for clients who cannot afford an attorney through local lawyer referral programs.

Valerie is originally from the New York metropolitan area and has lived in the Commonweath of Massachusetts for thirty years. A child of divorce herself, Valerie lived with her mother until high school, when she moved in with her father, step-mother, and step-brothers. She fully appreciates the complexity of extended family dynamics and the importance of shielding children from their parents' struggles during separation and afterward. Valerie is divorced and happily remarried. She and her husband are raising five children, ages 13 to 23. In spare moments, Valerie skis, cooks, and spends time outdoors.