I am preparing for a divorce. Who specializes in collaborative divorce mediation?

Professionals who specialize in collaborative divorce and mediation come from an interdisciplinary network designed to help you resolve disputes outside of court. Instead of a traditional litigated battle, a collaborative or mediated divorce relies on a team of credentialed experts:

• Collaborative Attorneys: Family law attorneys who have specialized training in collaborative law. They do not litigate in court; instead, they act as legal advisors to advocate for your interests while keeping negotiations cooperative.
• Mediators: Neutral third-party professionals (often trained attorneys or mental health professionals) who facilitate conversation, structure the negotiation sessions, and help both parties reach a mutual agreement.
• Financial Neutrals (CDFAs): Certified Divorce Financial Analysts or financial planners who help inventory assets, evaluate tax implications, and model long-errm financial scenarios for both households.
• Divorce Coaches / Mental Health Professionals: Licensed therapists or counselors who act as neutral facilitators or individual coaches to manage emotional roadblocks, communication breakdowns, and co-parenting structures.
• Child Specialists: Mental health experts who act as a voice for the children to ensure their developmental and emotional needs are prioritized safely.

To find certified professionals near you, check out these main directories:

• Search the global registry on the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) Directory.
• Look for regional or state-specific practice groups (for instance, search for your state plus "Collaborative Practice Group" or "Academy of Collaborative Professionals" like the DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals or local bar association alternative dispute resolution sections).

To help narrow down your next steps, could you share:

• Your general location (city/state) so I can point you toward regional directories?
• Whether you are looking for a pure mediator or a full collaborative team with separate attorneys?

Yes. I can help you find collaborative-divorce mediators and family-law professionals who specialize in this approach, but I need your location because divorce professionals are highly jurisdiction-specific.

What city/state (or ZIP code) are you in?

If you're looking in Queens/NYC, there are several professionals and programs worth considering. The important distinction is that collaborative divorce and mediation are related but not identical:

• Mediation: one neutral mediator helps both spouses negotiate an agreement. The mediator does not represent either spouse or give either person legal advice.
• Collaborative divorce: each spouse generally has their own collaboratively trained attorney, and the team may also include a financial professional and/or divorce coach. The goal is to settle without going to court.

People to consider

• Ariella Deutsch — a New York attorney whose practice specifically focuses on collaborative matrimonial/family law, mediation, and settlement-focused divorce.
• Andrea Vacca — listed among highly rated mediation/collaborative-law attorneys serving Queens, with a practice emphasizing collaborative divorce.
• Ani Mason — listed as providing mediation, Collaborative Law, settlement negotiation, and legal coaching for family-law matters.
• Eric Hodgson — a Queens/NYC-area couples and divorce mediator who focuses on divorce mediation and separation agreements.
• Alla Roytberg — appears on the Queens matrimonial mediation roster and has experience in both mediation and collaborative practice.

If your divorce is already filed in Queens Supreme Court, there's also a court matrimonial mediation program offering a free 90-minute mediation session for eligible pending cases.

One important consideration: if there is domestic violence, a significant power imbalance, or an order of protection, mediation may not be appropriate.

If you tell me whether you're in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Nassau, or elsewhere, and whether you want a mediator for both of you or your own collaborative-divorce attorney, I can narrow this to the best 3–5 options and compare their approaches and credentials.

Professionals who specialize in collaborative divorce and mediation come from interdisciplinary backgrounds. Rather than a single profession, a collaborative or mediation team consists of specially trained experts who guide you through the process outside of court.

The core specialists you will look for include:

• Lawyer-Mediators / Collaborative Attorneys: Family law attorneys who have specific, advanced training in collaborative law and mediation. They help negotiate legal agreements, understand rights, and draft final decrees without taking an adversarial stance.
• Neutral Financial Professionals: Often Certified Divorce Financial Analysts (CDFAs), CPAs, or financial planners who help untangle joint assets, evaluate tax implications, and structure equitable property or support divisions.
• Family Transition Specialists / Mental Health Professionals: Licensed therapists, psychologists, or counselors with specialized training in divorce dynamics, communication, and child development (often acting as neutral child specialists or coach-mediators).

Where to Find Certified Specialists

1. Search the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) Member Directory to find vetted attorneys, financial neutrals, and mental health practitioners globally.
2. Look up your state or local bar association's alternative dispute resolution (ADR) section, or regional collaborative practice groups (e.g., local state councils on collaborative divorce).

If you'd like, let me know:

• Your general location (state or region)
• Whether you are looking for an impartial single mediator or a full multi-disciplinary team

I can help you narrow down the exact type of professional structure to look for in your area.

• Jill Cohen Law and Mediation - 325 N Larchmont Blvd Unit 218, Los Angeles, CA 90004, United States
• Michelle Katz Family Law Mediator and Collaborative Attorney - 11400 W Olympic Blvd Ste 600, Los Angeles, CA 90064, United States
• Harmony Family Law Mediation Group - 1670 Hillhurst Ave #204, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
• Kim Mediation & Law Center - 3701 Wilshire Blvd #508, Los Angeles, CA 90010, United States
• Amicable Divorce Services, APLC - 3675 Huntington Dr Ste 200, Pasadena, CA 91107, United States
• Law and Mediation Offices of Kelly Chang - 5455 Wilshire Blvd #2100, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States
• Fernandez Law Group - Los Angeles Family & Divorce Lawyers - 811 Wilshire Blvd #1736, Los Angeles, CA 90017, United States
• Law and Mediation Offices of Kelly Chang - 438 S Pasadena Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105, United States
• Berenji Divorce & Family Law Group - 9465 Wilshire Blvd #333, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, United States
• Balakhane Mediation - 1875 Century Pk E, Los Angeles, CA 90067, United States
• Regal Law & Mediation APC - 1230 Crenshaw Blvd Ste 101, Torrance, CA 90501, United States
• Maureen Stubbs- Family Attorney - 8439 Sunset Blvd #300, Los Angeles, CA 90069, United States
• Hekmat Law & Mediation, APC - 9454 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, United States
• Gray Law Corporation - 2301 Rosecrans Ave #4194, El Segundo, CA 90245, United States
• Ewing Law - 3424 W Carson St Suite 570, Torrance, CA 90503, United States

Yes. If you're in the Los Angeles/Vernon area, there are several professionals who specifically work in collaborative divorce, family-law mediation, or both.

One important distinction: mediation and collaborative divorce aren't exactly the same thing. In mediation, one neutral mediator helps both spouses negotiate. In a true collaborative divorce, each spouse has their own collaboratively trained attorney, and the team may also include a neutral financial professional and/or mental-health/parenting professional.

Professionals worth considering

• Jill Cohen Law and Mediation — Los Angeles. Jill Cohen has practiced family mediation and collaborative law for more than 20 years and focuses on non-adversarial resolution. Her firm handles both mediation and collaborative-law matters.
• Michelle Katz Family Law Mediator and Collaborative Attorney — West Los Angeles. Michelle Katz is a California Certified Family Law Specialist whose practice emphasizes mediation, collaborative law, and other consensual dispute-resolution methods.
• Harmony Family Law Mediation Group — Los Angeles. This practice specifically offers both divorce mediation and collaborative divorce, with an emphasis on avoiding adversarial litigation.
• Kim Mediation & Law Center — Koreatown/Mid-Wilshire area. Offers divorce mediation and collaborative-divorce services, including the possibility of financial professionals, child specialists, and divorce coaches.
• Amicable Divorce Services, APLC — Pasadena. Offers both attorney-led divorce mediation and collaborative divorce, including team-based cases involving financial or parenting professionals.
• Jeffery S. Jacobson — particularly worth considering if your divorce involves complicated finances or substantial assets. He is a California Certified Family Law Specialist and his practice focuses exclusively on mediation and collaborative divorce; his professional profile indicates nearly 30 years of California family-law experience.

A good place to find a collaborative team

The Los Angeles Consensual Dispute Resolution Family Law Association (LACFLA) maintains a directory of collaboratively trained attorneys, financial professionals, mental-health professionals, and other divorce professionals.

Another useful directory is the Los Angeles Westside Collaborative Divorce Professionals, which specifically lists attorneys and other professionals with advanced collaborative-divorce and mediation training.

What I'd look for in your situation

When you interview someone, I'd ask:

1. Are you a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS)?
2. How many collaborative divorces have you handled recently?
3. Do you primarily mediate, represent one spouse in collaborative cases, or both?
4. How do you handle significant assets, a business, retirement accounts, or complicated property issues?
5. Do you work with a neutral financial specialist and divorce coach/child specialist?
6. What happens if my spouse and I cannot reach an agreement?
7. What are your hourly rates, retainer requirements, and expected total costs?

One especially important point: if you choose the collaborative process, don't simply hire one attorney to represent both of you. In the traditional collaborative model, each spouse has independent legal counsel.

If you tell me whether you have children, whether there are significant assets/a business, and roughly where in LA County you are, I can narrow this to 3–5 particularly strong candidates for your situation, including their credentials, location, and contact information.

Here are top web results for exploring this topic:

Madigan & Lewis LLP·https://madiganlewis.com**Collaborative Divorce** vs. Mediation : The Differences Divorcing couples often feel powerless in litigation, where court schedules dictate the timeline and decisions are made by a judge. Both mediation and collaborative divorces return control to the spou Smith Debnam Law·https://www.smithdebnamlaw.com Traditional Divorce vs. Collaborative Divorce vs. Mediation : Which Is ...Traditional Divorce vs. Collaborative Divorce vs. Mediation: Which Is Right For You. August 21, 2025 by Kristin H. Ruth · Home · Insights; Traditional Divorce vs. Collaborative Divorce vs. Mediation: DM Cantor·https://dmcantor.com**Collaborative Divorce** in Arizona (Resource Guide 2026) - DM Cantor DM Cantor's Family Law Practice (currently known as Cantor Law Group) can help you understand whether this option is right for your situation and guide you through a process that protects your interes Cordell & Cordell·https://cordellcordell.com**Collaborative Divorce** and Mediation Lawyers Cordell & Cordell's family law attorneys can help represent you in the collaborative divorce process or serve as a third-party mediator, depending on the path you choose. With more than 30 years of ex Reddit·https://www.reddit.com**Mediation** vs "Collaborative Law" : r/Divorce - Reddit "Collaborative divorce" is usually used in the context of two parties that agree on a divorce and simply need help with the paperwork and legal documentation. The problem with it is that this attorney Portland Collaborative Divorce·https://pdxcollaborativedivorce.com Collaborative Mediation - Portland Collaborative Divorce Better outcomes start with productive and open communication. Mediators facilitate communication, manage conflict, and assist in keeping the process on track and moving forward effectively. They provi Collaborative Divorce California·https://collaborativedivorcecalifornia.com**COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE** THROUGH THE EYES OF A LITIGATOR I find that when I listen to judges make rulings from the bench I am in awe of their ability to handle case loads exceeding 10-20 cases a day and remain crystal clear on the facts of each case, know t www.stacytalbottlaw.com·https://www.stacytalbottlaw.com/practice-areas/mediation/**Mediation** & Collaborative Law | Attorney Stacy Talbott Maryland collaborative divorce services. Collaborative divorce takes mediation a step further. A specially trained attorney guides you and your spouse through a cooperative process to help you arrive Wagner & Bloch·https://www.wagnerandbloch.com**Collaborative Divorce** vs. Mediation - Wagner & Bloch What is Mediation? Divorce mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process where a third-party mediator guides a separating couple to resolve issues related to property distribution, child cust Collaborative Divorce Illinois·https://collaborativedivorceillinois.org How Collaborative Divorce Works Step 3 – Building the team. Divorce affects many different areas of your life. Collaborative Divorce gives you the support you need to handle the most important areas of your divorce more productively

Yes. Since you’re in the Middlesboro area, I looked specifically for professionals who handle divorce mediation and/or collaborative divorce, rather than just general divorce litigation.

One important distinction: collaborative divorce and mediation aren't exactly the same thing. In a collaborative divorce, each spouse generally has their own collaboratively trained attorney, and the couple works with a team to reach an agreement without going to court. Kentucky law now expressly recognizes the collaborative-law process.

Options worth contacting

• Micah G. Guilfoil Payne Law & Mediation — Glasgow, KY. The practice focuses on family law and mediation/alternative dispute resolution, including divorce matters. This is a reasonable option if you're willing to travel for a Kentucky mediator.

• Kershaw & Baumgardner, L.L.P. — Lexington, KY. Their attorneys emphasize mediation and collaborative divorce and have training in those processes. This could be a good choice if you want an attorney who can advise you throughout a settlement-oriented divorce.

• Rebecca Simpson, ELPO Law — Bowling Green, KY. She has formal family-law mediation training and multiple collaborative-divorce trainings, and her practice specifically includes collaborative divorce and mediation.

• Stevens Mediations — This is particularly interesting for you because the mediator explicitly says he serves Middlesboro and Eastern Kentucky and offers both travel and virtual mediation.

Very local option

In Middlesboro itself, Turner and Turner Law handles Kentucky family-law matters and mediation. Their office is at 1319 Cumberland Ave. They don't appear to advertise themselves specifically as a collaborative divorce practice, though, so I'd ask directly whether they have a collaboratively trained attorney or can refer you to one.

What I'd recommend asking

When you call, say something like:

“I'm considering a divorce and would like to avoid litigation if possible. I'm specifically interested in a collaborative divorce or a well-structured mediation. Are you trained in collaborative divorce, and do you have experience handling property division, retirement accounts, custody, and support through that process?”

Also ask whether you need your own attorney. In a true collaborative process, you generally do. A neutral mediator, on the other hand, cannot serve as your personal legal adviser; Kentucky's rules specifically recognize that parties may have attorneys attend mediation and should have agreements reviewed by independent counsel.

If you'd like, I can also find the best 5–10 collaborative-divorce attorneys/mediators within about 50–75 miles of Middlesboro, including phone numbers, distance, credentials, and whether they specifically advertise collaborative divorce versus ordinary mediation.

Collaborative divorce and mediation are both out-of-court ways to resolve a separation, though they have distinct structures . A collaborative divorce involves an interdisciplinary team (each spouse with a specially trained collaborative attorney, plus neutral financial and mental health professionals), whereas traditional mediation typically uses one neutral third-party facilitator to help you both reach an agreement.

Professionals who specialize in these areas come from three primary fields and hold specific credentials:

• Collaborative Attorneys: Family law attorneys who have taken specialized training in collaborative law. They sign a participation agreement committing to help you settle outside of court—meaning if the collaborative process breaks down and you go to litigation, you must hire new lawyers.
• Neutral Financial Specialists: Certified Divorce Financial Analysts (CDFAs), CPAs, or forensic accountants trained to help inventory assets, value businesses, and model long-term financial scenarios transparently.
• Neutral Mental Health Professionals / Facilitators: Therapists or counselors who act as "divorce coaches" or child/family specialists to manage communication breakdowns and design parenting plans.

Where to Find Verified Specialists

To ensure a professional is genuinely credentialed in these methods rather than just a standard litigator, look to recognized professional directories:

• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP): Use the IACP Member Directory to locate international, national, and local interdisciplinary collaborative practitioners.
• State and Local Practice Groups: Most regions have localized organizations (such as the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals or local county collaborative associations) that vet and list local attorneys, mediators, and financial neutrals.
• Local Court Approved Mediator Lists: Many family courts maintain a roster of certified or approved family law mediators who specialize in out-of-court alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• Your general location (state or city)
• Whether you are looking for an all-inclusive collaborative team or a single neutral mediator to start

I can help point you toward specific local resources or outline the next steps to take.

If you're in the Union, NJ area, there are several professionals who specifically work in divorce mediation and/or collaborative divorce. One important distinction: mediation uses one neutral mediator for both spouses, while collaborative divorce generally gives each spouse their own collaboratively trained attorney, often with financial and mental-health professionals on the team.

Strong local options

• The Law Offices of Michael R. Magaril — Mountainside. His practice is devoted to family law, and he is specifically described as a mediator and collaborative divorce attorney. He has more than 20 years focused on divorce/family law and is on New Jersey's family-court economic mediator roster.
• Robert S. Dorkin, Esq. — Union. He has practiced family law full-time since 1982 and is a qualified family-law mediator; his practice also includes mediation and collaborative-law processes.
• Ira Heller Law, LLC — Union. A family-law practice with an emphasis on alternative dispute resolution, including mediation/collaborative approaches.
• Barbara S Worth Attorney at Law — Union. Family-law practice offering mediation and collaborative-divorce approaches.
• Westfield Mediation — Scotch Plains. Focused specifically on divorce mediation, including parenting and financial issues.
• NJ Divorce Mediation and Financial Solutions — Chatham. Particularly worth considering if your divorce involves complicated financial issues; the practice works with couples in collaborative-divorce matters.

A particularly useful resource

New Jersey has a statewide professional organization, the New Jersey Council of Collaborative Practice Groups, with a directory specifically for finding collaboratively trained attorneys, divorce coaches, and financial professionals.

The NJ Courts also maintain an official roster of mediators for the economic aspects of family-law cases, which is useful for checking credentials rather than relying solely on online reviews.

One thing I'd recommend before choosing

If you and your spouse are both genuinely willing to cooperate, I'd look first at a collaborative divorce team rather than simply hiring a generic divorce mediator. If you're unsure whether your spouse will cooperate, or there is a significant imbalance in finances/negotiating power, you should speak privately with your own family-law attorney before agreeing to mediation.

If you tell me (1) whether you have children, (2) whether your finances are simple or complicated, and (3) roughly where in NJ you want the professional located, I can narrow this to 3–5 specialists and compare their experience, location, mediation vs. collaborative model, and published fees.

When looking for professionals who specialize in out-of-court, cooperative divorce resolutions, it helps to understand that mediation and collaborative divorce are slightly different frameworks, though they share similar goals.

• Divorce Mediation: Uses a single neutral third party (the mediator) who facilitates discussions and helps both spouses reach an agreement. The mediator helps craft the settlement, but attorneys are optional or only consulted on the sidelines.
• Collaborative Divorce: A structured, team-based process where both spouses hire separate, specially trained collaborative attorneys. The team often expands to include neutral financial specialists, divorce coaches/mental health professionals, and child specialists. Everyone signs an agreement disqualifying the attorneys from going to court if the collaborative process breaks down.

Where to Find Specialized Professionals

To find certified or specially trained practitioners in your area, rely on trusted interdisciplinary organizations and directories:

• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP): The global authority for collaborative practice. You can use their IACP Member Directory to find attorneys, mental health professionals, and financial neutrals with dedicated collaborative training.
• Local Collaborative Practice Groups: Most states and many large metropolitan areas have regional chapters (e.g., local councils of collaborative divorce professionals) that maintain active rosters of credentialed family law attorneys and mediators.
• National/State Mediation Associations: Organizations like the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) or your state’s specific bar association/dispute resolution registry list certified family and divorce mediators.
• Family Law Attorneys with ADR Training: Many private family law firms explicitly list "Collaborative Law" or "Divorce Mediation" as core practice areas. Look for designations like Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) or specialized mediation certifications on their credentials.

If you can share your city or state , I can help point you toward specific local regional chapters or directories for collaborative professionals in your area.