Mediation Experience
Accredited Professional Mediator, NJ Association of Professional Mediators 1997 – PresentMediator for Economic Mediation Program in conjunction with Superior Court of New Jersey 1999 – PresentCo-founder and Mediator for Somerset County Volunteer Custody Mediation Program and Speaker at Custody Mediation Workshop 1995 – PresentMediation in Private Practice 1995 – PresentFaculty Instructor for Biannual ICLE Basic Mediation Training 2013 – PresentFaculty Instructor for ICLE Advanced Mediation Training 2013 – Present
Education
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey School of Law Newark, New Jersey, Juris DoctorRutgers Graduate School of Social Work M.S.W – 1976University of Connecticut B.S. – 1972Rutgers University, Divorce Meditation Course 1994NJ Association of Professional Mediators, Mediation Internship 1993-1994Numerous ICLE, NJAPM, ATLA, NJAJ Seminars in Family Law 1993-PresentRutgers University, Introductory Course in Divorce Mediation 1994Jersey Shore Collaborative Law Group, Collaborative Law Training 2008Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Parent Coordination Training Chicago, Illinois, 2010American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Arbitration Training Chicago, Illinois, 2013New Ways for Families Institute, High Conflict Families Training 201440-hour Introductory Course in Divorce Mediation Rutgers University New Brunswick, N.J. 1994Numerous ICLE, NJAPM, ATLA, NJAJ and other seminars in family law 1993 to the present
Bar Admissions
New Jersey, 1985 U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1985 U.S. Supreme Court, 199
Accreditations
Certified Matrimonial Attorney, New Jersey Supreme Court, 1998
Professional Affiliations
Association for Advancement of Collaborative Practice, Co-President/Member 2015Segal v. Lynch – co-authored amicus brief on behalf of NJ-AFCC 2012Vicinage XIII Inn of Court, Steering Committee/Member 2010 – 2014New Jersey Collaborative Law Group, Board Member, Secretary/Chair and Co-Chair, Education Committee/Member 2009 – 2014NJ Supreme Court, Testified in support of establishing a Parenting Coordination Court Rule 2007 – PresentNew Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Executive Committee, 2007-PresentNew Jersey State Bar Association Chair of the Children’s Rights SubcommitteeNew Jersey State Bar Association Chair of the Parenting Coordination Task ForceDistrict XIII Ethics Committee Chair/Vice-Chair/Member, 1998 – 2001New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators Member, 1996-Present; Trustee, 1997-2001Central Jersey Family Inn of Court Member, Steering Committee and Master, 1996 – 1999Somerset County Custody Mediation Program Co-founder and Custody Mediator, 1995 – PresentNew Jersey State Bar Association Member, 1994 – PresentSomerset County Bar Association Member, 1993 – Present; President 2013 – 2014; Chair and Co-Chair of Family Law CommitteeMatrimonial Early Settlement Panel, Hunterdon and Somerset Counties Panelist, 1991 – PresentAssociation of Family and Conciliation Courts NJ Chapter, President-Elect, 2015 – 2016, Treasurer, 2009 – 2015; Member, 2004 – Present
Presentations
Advanced Matrimonial Mediation Mediation Workshop, New Jersey State Bar Association Webcast, December 8, 2022.
“Guardians Ad Litem – How They Work and How to Get Appointed”, New Jersey State Bar Association, September 29, 2022.
“Guardians Ad Litem: Who Can Serve, What Can They Do and How Can They Be Used?”, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting, May 19, 2022.
Advanced Matrimonial Mediation Workshop, New Jersey State Bar Association, May 4, 2022.
What’s Next in Collaborative Practice? Accreditation, Protocols, Standards?, New Jersey Collaborative Law Group 2022 Retreat, May 2, 2022.
Child-inclusive Mediation New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts – Development and Issues that Arise in Divorcing Families, October 19, 2021
Collaborative Law and ADR – Presentation to the Garibaldi Inn of Court, October 14, 2021
Faculty, 40-hour Mediation Training and Advanced Mediation Training, ICLE 2014 to 2020
Speaker, Cutting Edge Issues in Custody Evaluations, ICLE Family Law Symposium, 2016
Speaker, Protecting Communications Made Prior to Signing a Collaborative Participation Agreement, ICLE Hot Tips Seminar, 2015
Speaker, Resources for Domestic Violence Victims and Their Families, NJSBA and SCBA, 2015
Instructor and Guest Lecturer, Collaborative Family Law and ADR, Rutgers School of Law – Newark, 2015
Moderator/Speaker, Professionalism in Family Law – The Ethics of Steering Your Client in the Right Direction, SCBA, 2015
Faculty, Mediation Training, ICLE, 2014
Speaker, Advanced Mediation Training, May 2014, March 2016, May 2018, May 2019, December 2019, May 2020, November 2020
Speaker, Use of Guardian Ad Litem for Parties Not Represented by Counsel, ICLE Hot Tips Seminar, 2014
Moderator, Pet Peeves in Family Law, NJSBA, 2014
Speaker, The Neurobiology of Addiction: Implications for Families and Children in Custody Cases, NJ-AFCC, 2014
Speaker and Moderator, Parenting Coordination Workshop, ICLE, 2013
Speaker/Panelist, Joint Custody: Fact or Fiction?, NJSBA Annual Meeting, 2013
Speaker/Panelist, Ethics in the Law, Somerset County Bar Association, 2012
Speaker, Use of Guardian Ad Litem Appointments for Adults in Family Law Matters, AFCC-NJ, 2012
Speaker, The Child Specialist-In or Out of the Collaborative Model, AFCC-NJ, 2012
Speaker/Panelist, Family Attorney as Diagnostician and Process Shaper, ICLE, 2012
Speaker, The Disposition of Pre-embryos: To Be or Not to Be?, ICLE Hot Tips Seminar, 2012
Instructor, Collaborative Law 2-day Training, ICLE, 2011, 2012
Speaker/Panelist, Ethics in the Law, Somerset County Bar Association, 2011 – 2012
Moderator/Speaker, Ethics in the Law, Somerset County Bar Association, 2011
Speaker, Motions to Modify Support, Somerset County Bar Association, 2010
Speaker, Arbitration in Family Matters, Somerset County Bar Association, 2010
Speaker, Savings as a Component of Marital Life Style, FLEC Meeting, 2010
Speaker, Alternatives/Precursors to Full Custody Evaluations, ICLE, 2010
Speaker, Enforcement of Anti-Lepis Provisions, NJSBA Annual Meeting, 2009
Speaker, Calculating Child Support in Equal Shared Parenting Cases, ICLE, 2009
Speaker, Modification of Support in the Current Economic Climate, ICLE, 2009
Speaker, Tax Issues in Divorce, Somerset County Bar Association, 2007
Speaker, Ethical Issues in Representing Children, ICLE, 2006
Speaker, Divorce and Taxes, Alimony and Taxes, NJ Society of CPA’s, NJAPM and ICLE, 2006
Speaker, Recent Developments in Family Law, Association of Divorce Financial Planners, 2005
Speaker, Comparative Family Law, Association of Divorce Financial Planners, 2004
Speaker, Alimony and Child Support, NJAPM Advanced Divorce Mediation Seminar, 2004
Speaker, Family and Divorce Mediation, Somerset County Bar Association, 2001
Speaker, Structure and Use of Court Mediation Programs, NJAPM, 2000
Moderator & Presenter, Financial Planning in Divorce, Mediation, and Hot Tips, ADR Day, 1999
Moderator, Financial Planning in Divorce Mediation, NJAPM Annual Conference
Moderator & Presenter, Child Support Guidelines Seminar, Somerset County Bar Association, 1998
Publications
“Adolescent Development and Issues that Arise In Divorcing Families”, New Jersey Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, October 19, 2021.
“Guardians, Guardians Ad Litem, Law Guardians and Parenting Coordinators: What You Need to Know” – New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Convention, May 20, 2021.
“Summary of Significant Changes to the 2016 NJ Court Rules Affecting Family Practice,” The Clarion, Somerset County Bar Association, Fall, 2015
“Custody and Parenting Time/Visitation Plans: What Are They and Why Do We Need Them?,” New Jersey Family Lawyer, Vol. 36, No. 1, August, 2015
“Alimony and Taxes,” New Jersey Family Lawyer, Vol. 33, No. 1, June , 2012 (co-author with Jeffrey Urbach, CPA)
“The Do’s and Don’ts of Mediation and Arbitration,” New Jersey Family Lawyer, Vol. 27 No. 2 October, 2006 (co-author with Amy Z. Shimalla, Esq.)
“Imputing Income to Assets,” New Jersey Family Lawyer, Vol. 18 No. 7 Nov/Dec., 1998 (co-author with Melissa G. Schiffman, Esq.)
Are You Still Responsible to Pay Child Support for Your High School Graduate?
Child Custody, Co-Parenting and Decision-Making
Does Social Science Research Support a Presumption of 50-50 Physical Custody
Financial Literacy and Divorce
Is 50-50 Parenting Time Presumed?
The Importance of Sibling Relationships in Custody and Parenting Time Determinations
Awards & Recognition
Chosen as Super Lawyer by NJ Monthly Magazine 2014 – 2015, 2017Chosen as Top 50 Women Lawyers in NJ by NJ Monthly Magazine 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021Phil Sobel Award — NJ-Association of Family and Conciliation Courts 2019Professional Lawyer of the Year, Somerset County 2005 Recipient
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