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You are here: Home / Archives for Family Mediation

Mediation for Families

Mediation is a tool that can be invaluable to families. At Fields and Dennis, we are well-versed in all aspects of Family Law, and we often turn to mediation as an agreeable and less distressing means to an end.  There are many ways that mediation can benefit families at various stages of life. From divorce to estate planning and everything in between, mediation can be an indispensable tool to quell interfamilial tensions and disputes.

If this were a game of Family Feud (Instances a family may call upon a mediator…) ‘divorce’ and ‘estate planning’ may very well be the top two answers on the board, but there are a variety of times when the services of a mediator may benefit a family unit. Read More.

Filed Under: Divorce, Family Law, Massachusetts Family Law, Massachusetts Mediation, Mediation Tagged With: Divorce, Estate Planning, Family Law, Family Mediation, Mediation, mediator, sibling disputes

Family Mediation Quarterly: President’s Letter

 

Dear Mediators:

The most recent professional development meeting, “Collaborative Law and Mediation Tools and Techniques: A Common Ground” was a product of the joint committee of the MCFM and the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council chaired by our own Lynn Cooper.  The panelists, in addition to Lynn, were Dan Finn, Kate Fanger, Karen Levitt, and Lisa Smith.

The committee was created in order to foster close reciprocal relationships between the organizations – and we are succeeding.  As a result of the committee’s efforts, for example, we are now cross-promoting each other’s events.

Being trained in the two disciplines has informed the way I practice both.

What can Collaborative Law teach the mediator? Collaborative Law taught me to provide summary notes to the clients following each mediation.  Although some mediators have been doing this for years without any influence from Collaborative Law, it wasn’t until I was trained in Collaborative Law that I understood the effectiveness of this procedure. One of the panelists suggested discussing with mediation clients their goals for the process, a staple at the beginning of the first Collaborative meeting.  I haven’t done this yet but I’m considering it.

What can Mediation teach the Collaborative Practitioner? Mediation skills such as listening and reframing are critical for the Collaborative practitioner; in fact, I believe that every Collaborative Practitioner should be required to take a course in mediation.

In any event, I think all of us can agree that the communities have a lot to teach other.  I look forward to more of these joint ventures in the future.

 

From the Family Mediation Quarterly

 

Filed Under: Massachusetts Family Law, Massachusetts Mediation, Mediation, Quarterly Reviews Tagged With: collaborative law, Family Mediation, Family Mediation Quarterly, Mediation

MCFM President’s Letter: The Genius of Family

On September 13, as most of you know, MCFM marked an important milestone – our 30th anniversary. We honored the occasion with an event at the Endicott House in Dedham. Thanks to the organizers (in alphabetical order – Lynn Cooper, Barbara Kellman, Diane Spears, Laurie Udell, and Fran Whyman,) it was a well-attended and unqualified success. Quite a few of us talked briefly to the gathering and I was one of the speakers. Les Wallerstein, editor of FMQ, asked me to submit my talk for publication. I asked him if it could “count” as my President’s Letter for the quarter and he agreed. With that understanding, Les, here it is…
To read MCFM President Jonathan E. Fields blog post, please copy and paste the following link into your browser:

http://www.bostondivorceandmediationlawyers.com/2012/10/mcfm-presidents-letter-the-genius-of-family/

Filed Under: Divorce, Family Law, Marriage, Massachusetts Family Law, Massachusetts Mediation, Mediation Tagged With: Family Mediation, MCFM, Mediation, Mediators

Jonathan E. Fields elected president of the MCFM

On May 1, Jonathan Fields was elected President of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation for a two-year term.  He is honored to have been chosen by his peers in an organization in which he has served as an Executive Board member since 2005.  The MCFM is a non-profit organization established over twenty-five years go by family mediators interested in sharing knowledge and setting guidelines for family mediation.

 

Filed Under: Family Law, Firm News, Massachusetts Family Law, Massachusetts Mediation Tagged With: Family Law, Family Mediation, MCFM, Mediation, Mediators

The Business of Divorce

Life is just like Business, according an article by Howard H. Irving, PhD, author and family mediator. So why not choose to make logical decisions based on experience, like you do for your business, when you and your spouse decide it’s time for a divorce? Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Some couples are inclined to do it; these couples should absolutely consider divorce mediation. Divorce mediation in Massachusetts, for example, is making extraordinary progress, because it’s beneficial for spouses who can agree what they want from the divorce. Mediated divorce is a voluntary process run by an impartial third party, called a Neutral. Both parties have a divorce attorney, but the divorce is handled out of court.

Litigation, on the other hand, is beneficial for couples who don’t know what they want from their divorce, who are dealing with complex issues that they can’t agree on, or who are extremely angry with each other. There are exceptions and divorcing couples who fall between the two (very simplified) categories.

No matter whether you choose traditional divorce litigation or divorce mediation, it is important that your children aren’t considered “business assets” that can be divided. Handling your family’s complex problems logically is an excellent idea, but not all business models are sound.

Filed Under: Divorce, Divorce and Family Law, Family Law, Massachusetts Mediation Tagged With: Divorce Mediator, Divorce Planning, Family Mediation

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    • Sheryl J. Dennis Quoted in Second Most Read Article in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

    • Fields and Dennis LLP Fundraiser for K9s for Warriors

    • Here are 4 Ways Divorced Parents Can Make the Holidays Joyful for Their Children – Attorney Vicki L. Shemin’s Article Featured on Divorcemag.com

    • Congratulations to Fields and Dennis LLP Firm members who were selected as Top Lawyers for 2022 by Boston Magazine

    • Sheryl J. Dennis Quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

    The Boston metro family law, divorce and estate planning attorneys at the law firm of Fields and Dennis LLP are based in the Newton Wellesley area and serve the city of Newton: Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Newton Centre, Newton Corner, Newton Upper Falls, Newton Lower Falls, Nonantum, Oak Hill, Waban and West Newton and town of Wellesley: Babson Park, Wellesley Hills, Wellesley Square Fields and Dennis also serves many clients in the Greater Boston and Massachusetts region including Ashland, Dover, Holliston, Medfield, Needham, Sherborn, Westwood, and all of Massachusetts. Attorney Jonathan Fields is a recognized authority on bitcoin and divorce

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