MARYLAND - Key Persons
Abbie Niehoff, MPS, CFP®, CDFA® is a senior divorce financial specialist at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM). She focuses her practice on assisting individuals, couples, and their attorneys to resolve the financial aspects of their divorce. She has more than five years of experience in divorce financial planning and analysis for collaborative, mediated, negotiated, and litigated divorce cases. Her work includes financial planning and analysis for support, division of property and retirement needs including cash flow, tax and retirement projections, budget analysis, financial asset division, non-marital property allocations and tracing of assets. She is collaboratively trained and a trained mediator.
Abbie has presented and published articles on a range of financial topics including collaborative divorce and financial planning for young couples.
Prior to working at CBM, she worked as a paralegal for May & Barnhard, a tax and financial consulting firm, and as a legal assistant at Hood & Hodges, a law firm specializing in criminal law, business litigation, personal injury, workers' compensation, Social Security, medical malpractice, and criminal law.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the International Academy of Collaborative
Alisa is an Attorney at Zamani & Associates, PLLC, where she works exclusively in all areas of family law and family formation. Alisa is a strong advocate of collaboration and negotiation to resolve disputes. Alisa is a trained mediator and assists clients in utilizing the mediation and collaborative law processes to resolve family matters with respect and integrity. Alisa has also served as court-appointed counsel for children's best interests in contested custody cases in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
Alisa has a strong public service background and believes in serving the indigent population in the District of Columbia. Prior to joining her firm, Alisa served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Jeanette J. Clark in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Family Court. She also volunteers with the D.C. Bar Family Law Pro Bono Project as Advising Counsel.
Alisa is a Member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals ("IACP") and the D.C. Academy of Collaborative Professionals ("DCACP") where she has assisted on the Membership Committee. Alisa has also been recognized for her dedication to the family law field by her peers by selection to Super Lawyers Rising Stars and to the Best Lawyers in America for Family Law in 2019.
Alisa also serves as a guest lecturer at The George Washington University Law School in their Family Law Department.
Andrea E. Hirsch has practiced family law since 1996. Her practice includes pre-nuptial and ante nuptial agreements; divorce and separation matters involving custody and child support, property division, and spousal support; co-habitation agreements; and adoptions. She also provides representation in adult guardianship and conservatorship matters.
She brings clients her extensive experience in collaborative law and mediation-for negotiated, non-judicial settlements-as well as in litigation in court. She brings sensitivity, attention and understanding to the highly charged, emotional issues accompanying family discord. While some sharply contested cases must go to court, many other cases can benefit from an alternative procedure that reduces expenses, insulates children from the conflict, and results in a more durable, satisfying agreement and Ms. Hirsch ensures that her clients select the process with which they will be most comfortable.
Ms. Hirsch holds a J.D. degree from the University Of Santa Clara School Of Law and a B.A. degree from Stanford University.
Barbara A. Burr, J.D. is a lawyer whose practice is dedicated to family law. After several years of representing clients in traditional round-table negotiation, mediation and litigation, she received her first Collaborative training in 2006 and has been building her Collaborative practice ever since. Barbara has conducted numerous trainings in the art and skill of collaborative practice, including Basic Collaborative Practice, Mediation and Interest-Based Negotiation Skills, and a variety of Advanced Collaborative Skill trainings. In 2010, Barbara, along with three other Collaborative professionals, opened the Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington, providing space to a collection of individuals with the shared vision of changing the way people resolve disputes. In 2013, Barbara helped found two non-profit organizations to bring pro bono and low-fee Collaborative Practice to families of modest means in Washington, DC and Maryland. Barbara also is a founding member and the first President of the DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She also is member of the Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals, located in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Barbara has been named a top lawyer by many organizations, including the Washingtonian, Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers. She received her law degree with honors from Harvard Law School and a bachelor's degree with honors from the University of Washington. She previously received certification as a CPA. Prior to family law, Ms. Burr clerked for the Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, then served as a civil rights attorney for close to a dozen years, first with the United States Department of Justice and then with the National Women's Law Center. She is admitted to practice in Washington, DC and Maryland. T: (202) 347-9002 | burrlawfirm.com Email: bburr@burrlawfirm.com.
Cherise L. Williams is a licensed attorney in Maryland and the District of Columbia. She is a passionate advocate who is driven to achieve results for her clients. Attorney Williams is highly skilled and knowledgeable through education and experience in the areas of family law. She is a trained GAL. She is a passionate advocate who is driven to achieve results for her clients. Your family's most sensitive issues are handled with dedication and personalized care; She has represented clients in litigations involving divorce, child custody, and related subjects since 2008.
Chris Roberts is a family law and divorce attorney who represents clients in all aspects of family law, including separation, divorce, custody, property, support, post-judgment issues, and domestic violence matters in Maryland.
Chris is passionate about representing his client's interests. Creative and resourceful, he seeks to resolve difficult issues without relying on the expensive and often difficult court process wherever possible. He is an adept problem solver - he works to understand his clients' unique challenges and represents their interests powerfully and effectively to achieve the desired outcome, regardless of the forum. When litigation is the best or only option, Chris thrives in the courtroom, and has earned a reputation as a formidable advocate for his clients.
Chris regularly handles complex financial cases on behalf of high net-worth individuals and their families, frequently representing business owners and executives or their spouses. These cases may require valuation of a business or other marital property, tracing of marital and non-marital funds, knowledge of the tax consequences associated with property disposition or awards of support, and familiarity and comfort with forensic accounting and related issues. Chris also often handles complex child custody matters, which often involve child custody and/or psychological evaluations, multi-state or international jurisdictional disputes, and mental health or substance abuse issues. Chris serves as a court-appointed Best Interest Attorney as well, representing the interests of children in contested child custody cases.
Chris is also a trained mediator, frequently utilizing mediation and other alternative dispute resolution tools to resolve his client's issues outside of the court process. He is also well-versed in eDiscovery and having completed an intensive eDiscovery Training Academy at Georgetown University.
Chris has been recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America as a premier divorce and family law attorney. The Daily Record has included Chris on its VIP List, recognizing Chris' professional success and commitment to inspiring change in his community. Chris is an active member of the Family Section of the Bar Association for Montgomery County, having held a number of leadership positions within the Bar Association. Chris has been recognized by the Montgomery County Bar Association numerous times for his leadership and commitment to the community. Chris frequently lectures on issues related to family law and divorce and also writes on family law topics. Chris recently contributed as an author to the Maryland State Bar Association's divorce and family law treatise, Divorce & Separation, 10th edition.
Chris is a native of Montgomery County, where he continues to reside with his wife and two children. Before becoming a family law attorney, Chris was a high school English teacher in the Montgomery County Public School system.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President / Director at CBM
Debora May is an Executive Vice President/Director at CBM - Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C. in charge of quality review for the firm's divorce and financial planning engagements. She has more than 30 years of experience in public accounting and was a co-founder of May & Barnhard, P.C., a Bethesda, Maryland-based tax and financial consulting firm that merged into CBM in November 2017.Ms. May has significant experience in tax, financial planning for individuals and closely held businesses, collaborative divorce, divorce litigation support and negotiation for financial settlements in divorce. She has provided expert testimony for attorneys in divorce and real estate matters, and participated in mediations for divorce. She has also served as a financial neutral in more than 250 collaborative divorce cases. In addition, she is actively involved with individual tax work and has also represented clients in IRS and state audit matters.
Ms. May is a recognized, industry-wide expert in the divorce planning arena who has helped negotiate settlements in hundreds of cases. She has also been voted by her peers as one of the top financial planning experts in the metropolitan Washington, DC area in the only seven polls of that nature sponsored by Washingtonian Magazine.
Ms. May is a past president of the Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals of Maryland, and is a member of the Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable and various other collaborative divorce groups.
Dr. Emily Cook is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist with almost a decade of experience working with couples and individuals. Emily is the owner of Emily Cook Therapy, a thriving group private practice in Bethesda, MD. The therapists at Emily Cook Therapy are relationship experts and are uniquely trained to help repair and enrich relationships. Emily specializes in working with couples at all stages of relationships: single, dating, committed or engaged, married, deciding to separate or divorce, and post-divorce. She is also a Certified Discernment Counselor, which is a short-term counseling option for couples on the brink of divorce.
The decision to separate or divorce is one of the most challenging a couple may make. As a Collaborative Mental Health Coach, Emily is committed to helping partners separate with integrity, respect, and self-care.
Mr. Wexler has been practicing law, tax, and accounting since 2002. He has represented a wide variety of businesses and individuals. As an experienced Attorney and Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Wexler has gained extensive insight as to tax and estate planning, tax reporting, IRS procedure, and federal & state audits. Mr. Wexler is a past Treasurer of both the Clift Condominium Association in Washington, DC and the Fallsmead Homes Corporation in Montgomery County. While earning his law degree from George Washington University, Mr. Wexler served as the Deputy Director of Finance at the International Research & Exchanges Board, in Washington, D.C. After completing law school, Mr. Wexler was hired as an Associate at the law firm McChesney & Dale, P.C., and subsequently promoted to Shareholder, where his practice included tax, business law, estate planning, estate administration, civil litigation, and ERISA.
Education
The George Washington University Law School, JD, 2002
Erik M. Feig founded Feig Mediation Group, a parent and family-focused mediation practice in Bethesda, MD to help parents, families and businesses create a path to more positive outcomes when important issues and decisions are on the line and communication can be most difficult. He is a mediator, accomplished attorney, and parent of three amazing children.
As a mediator, he is committed to helping his clients align with each other when important issues and decisions need to be addressed and the old, familiar ways of doing things are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of today - or tomorrow. It's an approach that recognizes - and seeks to mitigate against - the stress and harm that can result from poor or ineffective communication and unresolved conflict.
As a parent in a neurodiverse family, Mr. Feig has a particular commitment to working with parents where neurodiversity and special needs are factors in their families. He brings a practical, real-world approach to helping parents engage each other more constructively when decisions impacting their neurodivergent children are required.
As an attorney with over twenty-five years' experience, Mr. Feig has a reputation as a hands-on, trusted counselor and business partner who not only "gets" his clients, but who is also skilled at helping them prevent and respond to issues in ways that create opportunities. He has worked in private practice and as corporate General Counsel for an industry-leading organization, and holds certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
His experience and training extends to both family and business mediation, including separation and divorce (including co-parenting and child access issues and economic issues such as division of property and assets, and support), mediating high conflict family disputes, elder and adult family mediation, parenting coordination, and collaborative law practice. Indeed, he is a firm believer that a neutral mediator can be a valued resource to support the goals and success of the collaborative law process.
Combining all of this with a background in engineering that is rooted in designing and developing practical solutions to complex problems, Mr. Feig draws from an extensive toolset that sets him apart from so many practitioners with "traditional" notions of what mediation can achieve. He helps his clients expand their perspectives to see the bigger picture so that they can better explore what's possible, collaboratively and with less stress, thus facilitating more positive outcomes.
Mr. Feig received his law degree from Fordham University School of Law and his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. He is a member of the bars of Maryland, Washington DC, and New York.
Erin Kopelman is a divorce attorney who handles cases involving domestic relations and family law, including divorce, custody, child support, property settlement, alimony, post-judgment issues, prenuptial agreements, and postnuptial agreements in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Erin advocates for those she represents in negotiations and in the courtroom. She is straightforward and communicative, making sure her clients have the information to make the best decisions for themselves and their children. The daughter of two Naval officers, Erin brings a high level of precision and discipline to all her matters.
Erin also practices collaborative law and serves as a mediator and arbitrator. The collaborative process allows divorcing couples to work together with their attorneys to create mutually beneficial divorce settlement agreements without going to court. The collaborative process can be transformative and can avoid the escalation of hostility and overwhelming cost inherent in going to court. As a mediator, Erin assists divorcing couples in reaching negotiated resolutions without messy litigation. In addition, Erin has a certificate in arbitration from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Prior to joining Lerch Early, she practiced law at a boutique divorce and family law firm in Montgomery County.
Erin is listed in Best Lawyers in America for Family Law, is listed in Maryland Super Lawyers, and has been named a "Rising Star" in DC Super Lawyers. The Daily Record named her one of Maryland's "Leading Women," and Bethesda Magazine readers gave her the "Family Law Practitioner of the Year" award. Active in the Family Law section of the county bar association, she has received both the "Section Chair of the Year" and "Bar Leader" awards.
As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Geoff takes a collaborative approach to helping his clients identify and navigate complex financial issues, especially those surrounding life transitions. From an investment perspective, he believes in building client net worth carefully, focusing on value, diversification and risk mitigation. Geoff prides himself on research and an unparalleled depth of analysis before choosing underlying investments. This analysis is ongoing, ensuring a financial plan is performing as intended once it's in place. Working closely with his clients' personal advisors, such as attorneys or accountants, Geoff develops a comprehensive investment plan and wealth management strategy.
Geoff graduated from Loyola University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. His wealth management career began as a financial advisor for CITI Smith Barney. Shortly thereafter, he received the designation of Financial Planning Specialist and later earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. In 2013, Geoff moved his practice to Harbor Advisory. Harbor's business model enhanced his ability to provide customized, independent, and objective advice. As a CFP® and advisor, Geoff has combined his interest in finance with his desire to help people attain financial security and protect their legacy.
Geoff enjoys skiing, golf, and brewing beer. Geoff, his wife Adrienne, son Henry, and daughter Vivienne live in Rockville. They value spending time with friends and family in Connecticut and Maryland.
Jamie S. Blum, CPA, CDFA® is a divorce financial and litigation support manager who joined Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C. (CBM) in June 2020. She has more than 30 years of experience in divorce finance, litigation support and accounting. Before joining CBM, she served two years as a divorce financial analyst for Financial Divorce Solutions. In that role, Jamie delivered collaborative, mediation and client advocacy support for financial issues in divorce, expert witness testimony, budgeting, financial analysis of property settlements, stock options and retirement plans, and calculations of retirement assets and alimony payments.
Jamie understands the divorce process is a very stressful and emotional time for everyone involved. She brings clarity, confidence and support to her clients throughout their process to make informed and objective financial choices. As a financial neutral in the collaborative process and a trained mediator, she works with clients and their attorneys to achieve mutually agreeable and fair solutions to the complex financial matters in and beyond their divorce.
Her previous experiences include ownership of Certified Contractors Network and Maggio Roofing Company, where she provided financial management oversight and earlier accounting roles with MCI Communications and PriceWaterhouse Coopers.
Jan is a native Washingtonian, having grown up in the Maryland suburbs. She has called Montgomery County home for more than 20 years. She came to the real estate field in 2005 after spending 15 years in Information Technology - experience that serves her well in this fast-paced digital age - where most consumers begin their search for real estate online. Jan has been involved in the collaborative community in Montgomery County for the past several years. She is a past president of CDRP and is currently serving on the CDRP board as Meetings Chair. She is also a Director on the board of the Collaborative Project of Maryland. Jan holds the RCS-D designation (Real Estate Collaboration Specialist - Divorce) and is a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert. She has also been trained in the collaborative divorce process and in divorce mediation. Licensed in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia.
Anne (Jan) White finds that the collaborative law process benefits clients who are seeking to divorce in a way that maximizes their privacy, provides them with greater control over timing and outcome, emphasizes financial planning, and promotes family harmony and good parenting. Jan has great confidence in collaborative law's ability to overcome the emotional obstacles to negotiation and resolution in divorce cases. To maximize the personal nature and efficacy of the collaborative process, Jan routinely involves mental health, financial, and other trusted professionals in creating custom-tailored teams for each case. Jan's commitment to improving the experience of divorcing clients has led her to found the D.C. Metro Protocols Committee, devoted to improving the quality of collaborative divorce, and to train other professionals as a founding member of the Collaborative Practice Training Institute.Jan has over 30 years of legal experience in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia, is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was named to the 2012 editions of Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers. Jan attended Stanford Law School and is a magna cum laude graduate of Duke University, where she was also an Angier B. Duke scholar and Phi Beta Kappa member. Jan's diverse background prepared her to resolve complex divorce issues involving taxes, retirement benefits, trusts, businesses, and related financial issues in collaborative cases. Earlier in her career, she studied finance at Stanford Business School, trained in tax, business, and litigation at the Washington, D.C. firm of Hogan & Hartson, and practiced international trade law.
Jan completed her collaborative law training alongside renowned professionals in the field, such as Stu Webb, Pauline Tesler, Suzanne Brunsting, Susan Gamache, and George Richardson. In addition to practicing collaborative law in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland, Jan also works as a leader and educator in the field. Jan trains other attorneys in the collaborative law discipline and serves as Chair of the D.C. Metro Protocols Committee. She is past Co-Chair of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia and past President of the D.C. Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Professional Activities
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Fellow; Best Lawyers 2012; Super Lawyers 2012; Faculty for Divorce Tax, Pension programs for attorneys and mediators; developed, chaired and taught D.C. Bar Program "Family Law around the Beltway: Law and Strategy in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia"; Chair, D.C. Metro Protocols Committee; past Co-Chair, Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia; past President and Co-Chair of Protocols for D.C. Academy of Collaborative Professionals, past Board Member and Co-Chair of Protocols for D.C. Academy of Collaborative Professionals; Board Member and Co-Chair of Protocols for Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals (Maryland); Collaborative Practice Training Institute.
Joan Weiss is an experienced Family Law practitioner. She is admitted to practice law in Maryland, The District of Columbia and New Jersey. Ms. Weiss received her Juris Doctorate from George Washington University in Washington, DC and her B.A. from The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Ms. Weiss served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Frank E. Schwelb in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. She was also an Assistant Corporation Counsel, Juvenile Division, in the District of Columbia. Since 1994, Ms. Weiss has focused her private practice in the area of family law litigation and mediation. She is also a family law facilitator for the Montgomery County Circuit Court. Ms. Weiss is trained in divorce mediation and in collaborative law.
Kate Alcamo is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist with almost a decade of experience working with children and families. Kate is the owner of Family Therapy Center of Bethesda which provides therapeutic services to couples, children, families, and individuals in the Bethesda area. After 8 years providing therapy in a school based setting, Kate specializes in working with families and adolescents and helps them to improve communication, navigate the challenges of adolescence (e.g. peer relationships, school, identity, self esteem) and develop appropriate structure and boundaries at home.Divorce and separation can be extremely difficult on families, especially children. Kate believes that Collaborative Divorce can help families navigate this life transition in the healthiest way possible for all members involved. Kate strives to provide a safe and supportive space for clients to work through this difficult transition and helps them to develop a plan that will address the needs of all family members.
Kate McDonough is the Founder and Managing Attorney of McDonough Law in Silver Spring, Maryland. Since 2007, Kate's legal career has been focused primarily in the area of family law, but she also handles estate and probate matters and civil litigation. Kate has extensive experience at all court levels, including Federal District Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as well as District and Circuit Courts throughout the State of Maryland. She has argued several matters before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and briefed many other appeals. She is a member of the bars in Maryland, D.C. and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Kate's family law practice covers the full range of divorce, separation, child custody, guardianship, adoption, alimony, and child support matters from negotiating contractual agreements to mediation to litigating complex issues at trial. Kate is frequently appointed by Judges to serve as a Best Interest Attorney to represent children in contested custody cases and also to serve as a guardian or attorney for vulnerable or disabled adults. Kate is a trained mediator, facilitator, and Collaborative Law practitioner. Kate also handles Special Immigrant Juvenile matters and mentors other attorneys in this practice area which enables undocumented children to be placed in safe, loving homes and put on a pathway to citizenship.
In 2011, Kate was recognized by the Daily Record as a Maryland "Leading Woman"-an award bestowed to a small group of women, all under the age of 40 years, in recognition of their accomplishments to date in their business and legal careers. Additionally, Kate has been named a "Rising Star" in the area of family law by Super Lawyers Magazine each year from 2012 through 2020 and a "Super Lawyer" in 2021 and 2022.
Kate's professional memberships include the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland and its Family Law Section, of which she served as co-chair from 2013-2015; the Maryland State Bar Association; the Montgomery County Chapter of the Women's Bar Association, of which she served as President from 2015-2016 and for which she serves on the Judicial Selections Panel.
Kate is a Montgomery County native and a graduate of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. She earned a Bachelor of Science, with a double-major in International Affairs and Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies, from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kate's Juris Doctor is from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Kate is fluent in Spanish, as is most of her staff.
In her free time, Kate enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, and beagle, Tito. Kate enjoys traveling, skiing, working on home renovation projects, puzzles of all kinds, and supporting her teams (Xavier basketball and Washington Nationals).
Kate is a Washington, DC area psychotherapist with 30 years of experience helping children, adults, couples and families to successfully navigate a wide range of issues, including those related to anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, infidelity, communication, intimacy, parenting and life transitions. She dedicates a significant portion of her practice to working with families going through separation and divorce; She is a seasoned divorce consultant, mediator, parenting coordinator, and Collaborative Divorce Coach and Child Specialist.
In addition to her clinical work, she teaches nationally and internationally on such topics as divorce, psychodynamic psychotherapy, parenting and alternate dispute resolution. She regularly lectures and conduct trainings for family law attorneys, for mental health professionals and for multi-disciplinary audiences. She is the author of many professional articles and book chapters, and of three books. Her latest, "Mastering Crucial Moments in Separation and Divorce: A Multidisciplinary Guide to Excellence in Practice and Outcome" (co-authored with Lisa Herrick, Ph.D.), was released in March, 2017. Her shorter pieces appear frequently in online and print media.
In 2010 she co-founded the Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington. Nestled at the corner of bustling Connecticut Avenue and tree-lined Hillyer Place in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Northwest DC, CPC is a welcoming professional space where mental health practitioners, attorneys, and financial experts maintain their private practices while sharing a vision of helping never-married, separating, and divorcing couples to restructure their families with compassion and dignity. Kate's primary office is at the Center, but she also has offices in Bethesda and Rockville, Maryland.
Kristina Darwood is the founding attorney of Darwood Law Firm. She has been practicing law since 2004. She started her law career practicing for 9 years at a litigation powerhouse firm in Washington, DC. Since entering private practice, Kristina has progressed in her legal career with a drive to help individuals experiencing a variety of life's most profound circumstances. It is her passion to assist clients with divorces, child custody matters, separation agreements, and other family law issues. In addition to her versatile experience and concentration in these areas of law, she is also well-trained in mediation advocacy.
Kristina is a firm believer in empowering her clients to make the best decisions for their families. She believes that the collaborative process can offer a safe environment to resolve divorce issues in a respectful way. Although litigation has its place, it is often better for families to make the ultimate decisions in their legal disputes.
Kristina is licensed to practice law in both Washington, DC and Maryland.
Job Titles:
- President of the Residential Mortgage Center
Margie Hofberg, President of the Residential Mortgage Center, combines superb client relations with comprehensive expertise in the mortgage industry. The founding President of the Maryland Association of Mortgage Professionals, Margie has been a mortgage industry leader for 30 years. With her background in Education, she applies her teaching skills every day, guiding her clients through the best mortgage options for any given financial situation and life-stage. Her approach is professional, knowledge-based and empathic. Clients at all levels of income and credit feel comfortable with Margie's practical advice and caring demeanor during a stressful period. As a result, she develops long-term relationships with her clients and they rely on her as a friend and trusted advisor. In 2005, Margie trained in Collaborative Practice and has become an expert to whom many attorneys, financials, and mental health professionals turn when their divorcing clients need a mortgage.
Mary Ellen Flynn is a fulltime practicing attorney and the managing partner of Andalman & Flynn, P.C., located in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland. She has an A/V® rating from Martindale Hubbell®, the highest possible peer review rating of attorneys for ethics and legal ability, and has been practicing domestic/family law in the State of Maryland for over twenty-six (26) years. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, of Washington College of Law at American University, where she now serves as the Annual Giving Chair and as a member of the Dean's Advisory Board, and earned her undergraduate degree, with honors, from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She has been named a "Maryland Super Lawyer" by Baltimore Magazine and Maryland Super Lawyers Magazine, and a "Washington D.C. Super Lawyer" by Law and Politics Magazine and Washington D.C. Super Lawyer Magazine every year from 2008 to the present, as well as being recognized by Bethesda Magazine (Nov./Dec. 2013) as 1 of the 25+ Top Divorce Attorneys in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The majority of Ms. Flynn's work centers on separation, divorce and related matters, including child custody, visitation, and child support; both the day-to-day and long-term financial ramifications of separating households, such as temporary and permanent alimony/spousal support, use and possession of the family home; division of financial and pension/retirement assets; and marital debt solutions. She utilizes her skills as a collaborative law attorney-facilitator, a mediator, and a trial attorney to obtain the best results possible for her clients, who come from diverse backgrounds with regard to age, gender, sexual orientation, race, culture, religion, education, and profession. As an avid negotiator and a strong advocate for her clients, Ms. Flynn tailors her representation to the particulars of the situation at hand to gain the optimum benefits for her client while defusing as much stress and acrimony as possible. While many of her collaborative law cases are resolved in meetings solely among both parties and their attorney-facilitators, Ms. Flynn has a network of talented local interdisciplinary collaborative professionals, including therapists, personal coaches, realtors, and financial planners, who can be included as advisors and support to the parties in the collaborative law process when beneficial.
Mary Ellen Flynn is an active member and on the Board of Directors of the Collaborative Divorce Association (CDA), a current and founding member of the Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals (CDRP), and a member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), and she is a member of the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association (where she serves on the Board of Governors), the Bar Association for Montgomery County, Maryland (of which she is a past president), the Montgomery County Maryland Inns of Court, and the Montgomery County, Maryland Chapter of the State Women's Bar Association (of which she is a past president), as well as other law, business, and civic associations.
In every collaborative divorce law matter that she undertakes, Mary Ellen strives to resolve all outstanding issues in such a manner that the individuals parting ways and their families can bring closure to the past and current family situation and move forward to pursue happiness and success in their future personal and professional endeavors.
Richard Dodd is a collaborative family lawyer and litigator representing clients in the District of Columbia and Maryland. His practice encompasses divorce, child custody and support, alimony, and marital property division. Mindful to minimize the cost and acrimony of conventional divorce and custody litigation, whenever possible he facilitates clients' direct negotiation of mutually beneficial settlement agreements through collaborative negotiations, rather than litigation.
Mr. Dodd brings skillful and nuanced issue framing, negotiation and mediation skills to collaborative law, earned over 8 years negotiating and litigating family law cases, 10 years as litigation counsel to individuals and small companies, and 15 years as in-house contract negotiation counsel to several major companies. He has counseled and coached clients through collaborative negotiations involving contested child custody and co‑parenting plans, marital property distribution, alimony and child support, and drafting divorce settlement agreements flexible to meet the separated family's evolving needs. He also brings his personal mindfulness practice to anchor his presence with empathy in client interactions, and coaches clients to self-monitor reactivity in sometimes stressful situations.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Executive Director of the National Family Resiliency Center
- Specialist and Coach
Risa Garon is a trained child specialist and coach in collaborative divorce practice groups in Montgomery and Howard counties. She is a licensed clinical social worker, board certified diplomate and certified family life educator. Risa has served on the collaborative board of directors in Montgomery County and continues to support the values and process of collaborative law. Risa is currently a member of both the National Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts (AFCC) and the Maryland Chapter of AFCC. Risa serves on the Maryland AFCC Board of Directors.
As founder and executive director of the National Family Resiliency Center, Ms. Garon works with children, teens and adults. Ms. Garon and her staff have developed a child focused decision-making model that helps parents make decisions about the best interests of their children, and builds a trusting and constructive co parent relationship. Risa and her staff provide training programs to other professionals-judges, mediators, school that support families through transitions using the Child and Family Focused Decision-Making Model.
Roger A. Hayden, II represents clients in complex commercial transactions, employment, real estate and litigation. His expertise includes the transfer, financing and leasing of real property, business organization and planning, asset protection and discrimination issues in the workplace. He also represents clients in will and trust contests, disputed guardianships and other fiduciary matters.
A Maryland native, he grew up on a farm in upper Montgomery County, Maryland where he continues to reside with his wife and children. He is involved in numerous civic activities including PTA, Boy Scouts, and youth religious instructor.
Sarah Novak Nesbitt is the Managing Attorney of the Family Law Division of Family Legal Advocacy Group and has focused her professional life on working with children and families. Sarah also practices in the firm's Education Law Division and occasionally in the Child Welfare Division. This past year, Sarah taught Children and Divorce at the University of Maryland School of Law as an adjunct professor.
After growing up in Montgomery County, Sarah attended the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. She graduated magna cum laude with dual degrees in psychology and sociology. While at Notre Dame, Sarah focused her course work and research on infant and child development and family dynamics. She returned to Maryland after college to work as a full time volunteer teacher at a scholarship school for low-income middle school boys in Baltimore City. Based on her volunteer experiences, Sarah became a lawyer to help children and families navigate the legal system.
Sarah graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she was a Leadership Scholar. During her first summer, Sarah obtained a grant to intern for Project HEAL, a joint program from the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and Johns Hopkins Children's Center, where she assisted primarily in family law and special education cases. The following year, Sarah won the Maryland Public Interest Law Project Pro Bono Student of the Year award for her work in starting an ongoing program for law students at University of Maryland to volunteer with Project HEAL. Sarah also volunteered throughout law school with the House of Ruth, providing services to victims of domestic violence. Her academic work included courses such as Domestic Violence and the Law, Children and the Law, Children and Divorce, Mediation in Family Law, and Families, Contracts, and Status. Sarah also focused on alternative dispute resolution options for families and litigation as a Rule 16 attorney in the Juvenile Law Clinic in special education and child protective services cases and as an intern for the Honorable Diane O. Leasure, then the Administrative Judge for the Circuit Court for Howard County. Sarah frequently volunteers in the Family Law Assistance Program in the Circuit Court for Howard County and has appeared in the Circuit Courts for Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. Sarah is a member of many professional organizations, including the Howard County Bar Association, the Maryland Collaborative Practice Council, the Howard County Collaborative Practice, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, the Divorce Roundtable of Montgomery County, the Maryland State Bar Association, and the Howard County Women's Bar Association, as well as being on the board of CPM. She is also active with There Goes My Hero, a non-profit that provides bone marrow registration drives to support individuals with lymphoma and other medical conditions.
A native of Cooperstown, New York, Sherry has over 35 years of real estate experience in the Washington, D.C. area, first as an appraiser and later in sales. Her qualifications and experience along with Long & Foster's vast resources enable her to provide home buyers and sellers with the critical information and guidance they need to make wise decisions on what is likely their largest asset - their home. Sherry is part of a large network of award-winning agents in Long & Foster's #1 office, Bethesda Gateway. Licensed in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her clients, making their transactions seamless and easy. Sherry's goal is not just to sell homes, but to build relationships that live on - long after settlement.
Sue Soler, LCSW-C is a seasoned mental health professional with over seventeen years experience working with children and families. She believes that Collaborative divorce provides couples and families with a non-adversarial structure to settle their issues related to separation and divorce. She is dedicated to using her skills to provide sensitive and thoughtful help to those who are going through the difficult process of separation and divorce.Sue believes that Collaborative divorce allows families to achieve a positive resolution that minimizes the negative financial, social and emotional consequences. She feels that the Collaborative process is unique in that it affords the family an opportunity to resolve disputes respectfully without going to Court, communicate in an open manner and create shared solutions that meet the needs of their individual family. In the Collaborative process, Sue can serve as either a divorce coach or a child specialist. As a divorce coach, Sue assists parents in creating goals to address their own needs as well as those of their children and their family. In addition, she works with parents to strengthen communication skills, reduce stress and manage the emotions that go along with a divorce. As a child specialist, Sue will serve as an advocate for the child, assessing the child's needs and then communicating those needs to both parents to assist them in developing a parenting plan that is best for the family.
Sue has completed numerous trainings in Collaborative Practice and is an active member in the Collaborative community. She is a member of three area practice groups: CDA (Collaborative Divorce Association), CDRP (Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals) and DCACP (DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals). She has served on the board of all three practice groups and is the former co-President of CDA. She is also a member of MCPC, the Maryland Collaborative Practice Council. She is the Chair of the Process Subcommittee of the D.C. Metro Protocols, and the Co-Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Maryland Collaborative Practice Council. In addition, Sue has given numerous presentations on Collaborative divorce, including to Georgetown University and George Washington University Law School. Sue has been quoted in the New York Times regarding her perspective on parent communication and the impact on children.
Sue's background includes team training in collaborative divorce, mediation training, and experience conducting custody evaluations. She has served as a parenting coordinator through appointments by the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Maryland. She has also testified on behalf of children and families in both District and Circuit Court in Montgomery County, Maryland. Sue graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology from Clark University. Sue received her Master's degree in social work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore.
Job Titles:
- Principal in the Law Firm of OAKLEY & ECKSTEIN
Suzy Eckstein is a principal in the law firm of OAKLEY & ECKSTEIN, LLC and an established family law practitioner with extensive experience in guardianships, step-parent adoptions, divorce, custody, probate and wills and estates. She is a member of both the Maryland and District of Columbia Bars and a trained mediator. She is also an adjunct professor at the Unversity of Maryland School of Law. Ms. Eckstein was featured in Bethesda Magazine as one of the top 25 divorce lawyers in the Montgomery County area. She graduated cum laude from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Allied Services, and received her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1987. She is actively involved in the Montgomery County Bar Association, having served as Secretary and on the Executive Committee, as Co-Chair of the Collaborative Law Section, and is currently a member of the Fee Dispute Resolution Committee. For the Maryland State Bar Association, Ms. Eckstein served on the Board of Governors and on the Executive Committee, and is past Chair of the ADR Section Council. Ms. Eckstein is also a member of the Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable. In the collaborative area, she was founding President of Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals, a Montgomery County practice group; founding member of the Maryland Collaborative Practice Council, a statewide organization; and is currently a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals; She was the founding Co-President and is a current board member of the Collaborative Project of Maryland, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting clients of modest means to have access to the Collaborative Process. Ms. Eckstein frequently speaks on the subject of Collaborative Law and recently completed an article as co-author entitled "Advocacy Within the Collaborative Process: A Comparative Case Study", published in the Maryland Bar Journal. She successfully argued what the Family Law Monthly described as the landmark case of Rock v. Rock, a precedent-setting decision on the award of indefinite alimony. Locally, former CBS reporter Jan Fox featured her advice regarding prenuptial agreements on the Consumer Reports segment of Channel 9's Eyewitness News.
Job Titles:
- Wealth Advisor and Relationship Manager at Chevy Chase Trust
Wendy is a Wealth Advisor and Relationship Manager at Chevy Chase Trust. With more than 26 years of experience in wealth management, Wendy is responsible for advising clients in the areas of investment management, financial and estate planning, and trust administration. She oversees the delivery of services to clients and coordinates with their legal, accounting, and other advisors.
Originally from Colorado, Wendy earned her B. S. from Colorado State University. She is a Certified Financial Planner® and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®. Wendy is the President of Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals, an active member of the Montgomery County Estate Planning Council, and a Financial Coach with A Wider Circle in Silver Spring.