Massachusetts Collaborative Law

Join us virtually from September 29, 30 & October 1, 2021 from 10am to 4pm (EST)

Newly added: Interactive sessions and best practices on how to work virtually with clients.

• Learn the fundamentals of the Collaborative Law model and how to apply it to both Family & Business Law cases.
• Develop results-oriented techniques to help clients reach successful resolutions to disputes.
• Identify and implement strategies to navigate challenging cases and to achieve success with high-conflict clients.
• Train with experienced professionals who are passionate about the team approach.
• Learn best practices for both in-person and virtual collaborative work
• Fulfill the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) standards for a Collaborative Law Intro Training.
• Earn Continuing Education Credits.
• Includes one year free MCLC membership.

Who should Attend: This training is designed for family and business law attorneys, psychologists, social workers and other mental health professionals, coaches, and mediators, financial professionals, child development and co-parenting specialists, and anyone assisting business or family clients in conflict.

Faculty:

Co Chairs: Betsy Ross & David Consigli

Betsy Ross, LICSW, CGP works with couples, families, and individuals as a Collaborative Divorce Facilitator and Co-Parenting Relationship Coach, a Divorce Mediator, and as a Licensed Psychotherapist in Boston and in Stoughton, MA. For over 25 years, Betsy has helped individuals, couples and family members to talk to each other more, fight less, and improve their ability to address issues and problem solve together. Betsy’s training in three different specialties: psychotherapy, coaching, and mediation has provided her with a large repertoire of tools to choose from when working with clients to improve their relationships. She has served as a consultant and has taught workshops and facilitated discussions in many settings

David Consigli, CPA, ABV. David is a Certified Public Accountant who specializes in the valuation of closely held businesses for numerous purposes including divorce and shareholder litigation. David is trained as a Collaborative Financial Neutral and sits on the Accredited in Business Valuation Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Beth L. Aarons, JD, MSW, is a collaborative attorney and mediator focused on helping families navigate the complex family dynamics of divorce and inheritance disputes through dispute resolution processes.  Beth is the current President of MCLC, and Co-Chairs the Probate and Estate Dispute Resolution Committee.  She also teaches Mediation at Suffolk Law School and has presented at local and national conferences on Collaborative Law and mediation topics.

Gina Arons, Psy.D. is a psychologist, Collaborative Law coach-facilitator, mediator, consultant to attorneys, and former long term board member of Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council.  Dr. Arons has presented at numerous Collaborative Law conferences in the United States and Canada on introductory and advanced topics and has a private practice in Lincoln, MA  with services for children, adults, couples and families.

Dawn Effron, J.D., is a collaborative attorney and mediator focusing on family and workplace issues. Dawn teaches the skills that she applies in her practice at Northeastern University School of Law and New England Law | Boston, and in business settings.

Susan M. DeMatteo, M. Ed, J.D.  is a collaborative family law attorney, mediator and parenting coordinator. Susan has been practicing law for over thirty years. Although Susan has been a litigator for many years her preference is to focus on dispute resolution as a better way for her clients to resolve their family law matters. Susan was trained in collaborative practice in 2001. She is a graduate of Northeastern University receiving her B.S in Health and her M.Ed. in Education and New England Law | Boston. At New England Law | Boston she was Editor in Chief of the New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement and was a published author.

Jeffrey Fink, JD practices business law and dispute resolution in Wellesley, Massachusetts. His business practice includes transactional and outside general counsel work for a variety of service, manufacturing, software and cannabis industry companies, and his dispute resolution practice includes mediated and collaborative divorce (often involving family businesses or complex financial arrangements), collaborative prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and arbitration, mediation and settlement negotiation of business disputes. He is Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Collaborative Law Committee and past President of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Counsel. Jeff has presented at local, national and international collaborative law trainings and written extensively on topics ranging from collaborative techniques to ethics to team development. He earned a J.D. from Columbia University and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jennifer Hawthorne, Esq. is a collaborative law attorney and mediator focusing mainly on family law matters. Jennifer established a practice in 2013, and later joined Skylark Law & Mediation, PC in Southborough, Massachusetts. Her work is firmly rooted in helping families to resolve conflict. She is dedicated to helping clients disentangle their financial lives while also working to preserve an on-going family relationship post-divorce enabling her clients to be effective co-parents. Jennifer joined the board of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation (MCFM) in 2016 and is a co-chair of the MCFM Publishing Committee and the MCFM Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Jennifer is an active member of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council (MCLC) and is the co-chair of the Continuing Education Committee. Jennifer worked as the Onsite Coordinator for the DOR Pilot Mediation Project in Suffolk County representing MetroWest Mediation Services (MWMS) where she serves as a volunteer mediator and the Probate and Family Court Coordinator. Jennifer has presented on various topics related to dispute resolution and family law through MCFM, the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM), the International Association of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) and the Divorce Mediation Training Associates (DMTA). Jennifer earned her B.A. from Boston University and her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.

 Justin Kelsey, J.D. is a collaborative divorce attorney and mediator.  Justin is the President of the Massachusetts Council of Family Mediators and is the Past President of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council.  He also serves as a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Section Council.  Justin is the owner of Skylark Law & Mediation, PC, which is located in Southborough, MA and concentrates primarily on the resolution of family conflict outside of court.  Learn more at SkylarkLaw.com.

Karen J. Levitt, J.D., is the principal of the Levitt Law Group, Chelmsford, MA, where she concentrates in divorce and family law. She is a Collaborative Law attorney, Mediator, and litigator, and serves as a Court Conciliator and Guardian ad Litem. Karen has been practicing for over 30 years and has a wide range of experience both in and out of Court. Karen is also a nationally known writer and speaker on divorce and family law. In 2016, Karen was honored by the Massachusetts Bar Association and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in receiving the Excellence in the Law: ADR award. Karen is a past President of the Greater Lowell Bar Association, one of the founders and a Past President of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, and has served on the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation.

Michelle M. Raymond, J.D. is a collaborative attorney, mediator, and family law litigator with over 20 years’ experience working with families in crisis.  Michelle has integrated the team approach and use of outside professionals into litigated and non-litigated cases to provide her clients with guidance through the often stressful and overwhelming decisions involved in the divorce process.  In addition to the legal aspects of family law, she focuses on helping her clients maintain and regain control over the decisions that affect their lives, integrity, and confidence.  Michelle also works with families who have children with special needs and is well-versed in coordinating estate and financial planning into her agreements and services.  She serves as a Guardian ad Litem, mediator, conciliator, and special master in litigation and dispute resolution settings.  Michelle is a principal at Doherty, Dugan, Cannon, Raymond & Weil, P.C. located in Franklin, Massachusetts and runs their Domestic Relations Department.  She is a member of the board for Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, and a member of International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Massachusetts Council of Family Mediation, Massachusetts Association of Guardians ad Litem, Norfolk County Bar Association, Bristol County Bar Association and Massachusetts Bar Association as well as other community-based volunteerism

Karen Van Kooy is managing partner at Israel Van Kooy Law, LLC (“IVK Law – Your Family Matters Law Firm), with an office in Coolidge Corner, Brookline and at The Collaborative Law Outpost in Southborough. Karen is a Collaborative Law attorney and mediator, assisting families through transitions (pre-nuptial agreements, family formation, second parent adoptions, divorce) and with their estate planning needs (wills and trusts). Karen is committed to helping families find the right, client-centered process for their situation, whether attorney assisted negotiation, mediation, the collaborative law process, limited legal representation, or combinations thereof.

Kim Whelan is a CDFA® (Certified Divorce Financial Analyst), mediator, and collaboratively trained financial neutral.   Kim has an MBA from Harvard Business School and, after an eclectic business career, established her mediation practice in 2012, earned her CDFA® and was collaboratively trained -- with the goal of helping her clients better navigate the financial maze divorce often presents.  She is dedicated to helping her clients maintain their financial and emotional integrity for their lives going forward.   Kim has spoken at several national conferences including IACP and the Academy of Professional Family Mediators and she presents regularly on divorce financial analysis at trainings and workshops in Massachusetts.  Kim is on the board and is Treasurer of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation and serves on the Membership Committee of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council.