Having practiced law for nearly 30 years, I have developed a unique understanding of people and their problems. In collaborative law, I have discovered an approach that naturally fits with my strengths and experience as an advocate. I was a member of the first class of local attorneys trained in collaborative law in 2001 and worked in litigation prior to that time and continue to do so. I also negotiate settlement agreements between divorcing couples, as well as pre-marital and post-divorce matters. The benefits to collaborative law in my view, are to, first and foremost, protect the children from the fall-out of a parent’s divorce and to provide them with a highly functioning family, albeit with two parents living apart. In addition, collaborative law enables both parties to maintain their privacy, dignity and self-respect in a process that can be daunting and devastating.