D. is a lawyer, psychologist, mediator, and collaborative law practitioner. His psychotherapy practice is based in Marin County, California. He offers alternative dispute resolution services across Northern California through JAMS. Steve's unique blend of law and psychology allows him to identify and work effectively with, rather than shy away from, the underlying psychological obstacles that are often the real barriers to the resolution of conflicts.
Steve's conflict resolution work covers a wide range of subject areas including family and divorce, business/commercial, intellectual property, employment, probate, elder, trusts, estate planning, discrimination, partnerships, insurance, and community matters. He is also a trainer in psychotherapy, mediation, and collaborative divorce. Mediation is a consensual, cooperative, confidential process in which a skilled neutral professional facilitates the reaching of a negotiated resolution to various kinds of disputes.
What sets Steve apart from other mediators is how his dual training as a lawyer and psychologist allows him to help the parties get below the surface of their dispute to its root causes.
Steve's conflict resolution work covers a wide range of subject areas including family and divorce, business/commercial, intellectual property, employment, probate, elder, trusts, estate planning, discrimination, partnerships, insurance, and community matters. He is also a trainer in psychotherapy, mediation, and collaborative divorce. Mediation is a consensual, cooperative, confidential process in which a skilled neutral professional facilitates the reaching of a negotiated resolution to various kinds of disputes.
What sets Steve apart from other mediators is how his dual training as a lawyer and psychologist allows him to help the parties get below the surface of their dispute to its root causes.
Services
Elder mediation is a specialized form of mediation in which the mediator works with an elder and/or his or her family to resolve issues that are particular to the aging process.
Probate or inheritance mediation is a similar area of specialization, in which the mediator works with the heirs of a deceased individual to resolve issues related to the distribution of the decedent's assets.
Estate planning mediation is a related area of specialization, in which the mediator works with all interested parties in the creation of an estate plan so as to maximize the odds of avoiding disputes after the trustor dies.
Probate or inheritance mediation is a similar area of specialization, in which the mediator works with the heirs of a deceased individual to resolve issues related to the distribution of the decedent's assets.
Estate planning mediation is a related area of specialization, in which the mediator works with all interested parties in the creation of an estate plan so as to maximize the odds of avoiding disputes after the trustor dies.
Integrative Mediation is a co-mediation process in which a lawyer-mediator and a mental health professional (MHP)-mediator jointly attend to the legal and emotional needs of the parties in helping them to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution to their dispute.
What distinguishes Integrative Mediation from other forms of conflict resolution, and even other forms of co-mediation, is that the therapist-mediator and the lawyer-mediator work together co-equally through every phase of the case, giving equal weight to the legal as well as to the psychological and emotional facets of a given dispute.
What distinguishes Integrative Mediation from other forms of conflict resolution, and even other forms of co-mediation, is that the therapist-mediator and the lawyer-mediator work together co-equally through every phase of the case, giving equal weight to the legal as well as to the psychological and emotional facets of a given dispute.
Excerpt: This is a challenging time for many, perhaps most, collaborative practitioners in California.
For many, new collaborative cases have slowed to a trickle.
Many practitioners have no collaborative cases at all.
Certainly the economy is partly to blame, and perhaps as well our reputation with some for being expensive or inefficient.
Whatever the causes of our current state of malaise, the question cries out: what is to be done?
Practice groups across the state are tackling this question in a variety of ways, as is CP-Cal, and the innovations that result from these conversations will surely end up benefitting collaborative practice as a whole.
For many, new collaborative cases have slowed to a trickle.
Many practitioners have no collaborative cases at all.
Certainly the economy is partly to blame, and perhaps as well our reputation with some for being expensive or inefficient.
Whatever the causes of our current state of malaise, the question cries out: what is to be done?
Practice groups across the state are tackling this question in a variety of ways, as is CP-Cal, and the innovations that result from these conversations will surely end up benefitting collaborative practice as a whole.
Collaborative Practice is a team-based approach to resolving primarily family law disputes out of court.
Unlike mediation, in which the process is guided by one or two neutrals, in collaborative practice each party hires their own collaborative attorney to represent and assist them in non-adversarial, fact-to-face negotiations.
In divorce cases, frequently the parties also each hire their own collaborative divorce coach, or sometimes they elect to hire a single, neutral coach, in both instances to ensure that the emotional and psychological aspects of the case are included in the dialog and meaningfully addressed.
Unlike mediation, in which the process is guided by one or two neutrals, in collaborative practice each party hires their own collaborative attorney to represent and assist them in non-adversarial, fact-to-face negotiations.
In divorce cases, frequently the parties also each hire their own collaborative divorce coach, or sometimes they elect to hire a single, neutral coach, in both instances to ensure that the emotional and psychological aspects of the case are included in the dialog and meaningfully addressed.
Excerpt: To my mind, when one steps back and takes the broadest possible view of what it is we collaborative practitioners are doing, one cannot help but be struck by the revolutionary nature of interdisciplinary practice.
Although lawyers have been bringing financial experts into cases for a long time, embracing their direct work with the clients as part of a multi-disciplinary team is a new and salutary development.
Mental health professionals (MHPs) working co-equally with lawyers to resolve legal cases is nothing short of a mighty tectonic shift, particularly when one considers the origins of our legal system.
Although lawyers have been bringing financial experts into cases for a long time, embracing their direct work with the clients as part of a multi-disciplinary team is a new and salutary development.
Mental health professionals (MHPs) working co-equally with lawyers to resolve legal cases is nothing short of a mighty tectonic shift, particularly when one considers the origins of our legal system.
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