I am an experienced trial attorney and mediator who specializes in divorce, post-divorce, custody, paternity, and other family law matters. I practice law primarily in Hampshire and Franklin counties, representing husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and children. I also represent individuals as a collaborative lawyer. I provide mediation services for couples, including traditional mediation with and without attorneys, case evaluation mediation, and parenting coordinator services. I am particularly sensitive to the emotional nature of this type of work and welcome the opportunity to empower my clients as they experience family transitions. I am also particularly skilled at resolving complex financial issues that arise as my clients divide accumulated assets and debt and look ahead to develop a plan for their financial futures.

I am committed to helping clients find creative solutions to problems within the family context. Whether the issue is child-related, financial, or interpersonal, I will explore different possibilities for settlement. When settlement is not possible, however, I am a highly effective advocate within the court system. I value a team approach to client service, using financial experts and mental health clinicians when appropriate. Although I am a zealous advocate, I am very child-focused and encourage my clients at all times to keep their children's needs at the forefront when considering various legal options.

My educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law in 1986. I had the honor of serving as a law clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court for a year following my graduation from law school, and entered private practice in Boston in 1987, concentrating my practice in family law. I moved to Western Massachusetts in 1990 and opened my own practice shortly thereafter. In 1994, I formed a law partnership with Attorney Marilyn J. Schmidt in Northampton. In 1995, I was granted fellowship in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a national organization of experienced domestic relations practitioners. In June 2001, I returned to solo practice in order to start smaller firm devoted exclusively to family law and mediation.

In addition to serving as a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), I am a manager on the Board of Managers for the Massachusetts Chapter of the AAML. I have served on the Executive Committee of the Hampshire County Bar Association (HCBA), and have been a member of the HCBA since I moved to Western Massachusetts in 1990. I belong to the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, and the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts. I also 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. I am a member of local lawyer referral programs which provide legal representation for clients that cannot afford an attorney, as I consider community service to be an integral part of my work.

I am originally from the New York metropolitan area and have lived in the Commonweath of Massachusetts since 1981. I was a child of divorce myself: each of my parents has been married and divorced several times. I lived with my mother until high school, when I moved in with my father, step-mother, and her children. I fully appreciate the complexity of extended family dynamics and the importance of shielding children from their parents' struggles during separation and afterward. In fact, I continue to be part of a blended family which includes my two daughters, my husband and his three children, and our former spouses with whom we co-parent with cooperation and patience. Having learned so many of my own life lessons through relationships, I am fascinated by the interpersonal issues that arise in my law and mediation practice.