About Susan W. Wakefield

For twenty years I have focused my practice exclusively on family and divorce law. People I meet are in a great deal of emotional pain and most have been dealing with difficulties for a long time before ever seeking legal advice. Over the years I have seen families destroyed, assets depleted and lives put on hold while their case moves through the court system. The uncertainty of life during divorce is paralyzing especially for children. With a background in divorce litigation I have witnessed what happens when parties are placed in an adversarial position. Divorce is both a legal and an emotional process. Because our legal system does not address the emotional side of family law, at the end of a divorce people find they are still angry and hurt and the difficulties and lack of communication that existed before the divorce are still there which affects their ability to co-parent, willingness to comply with the terms of settlement and to heal in their personal lives.

I recommend to all my clients a mediated or non-adversarial divorce process. I believe in bringing parties together so they can create at their own pace and through their own hard work and compromise, an agreement which benefits the whole family. I bring to the mediation table information that may not be available to a non-lawyer mediator such as insight into the possible outcomes if their matter were to go to court. Whether an attorney acting on behalf of one party or an attorney mediator for a couple, clients leave the process with a sense of relief, an agreement they commit to voluntarily and willingly, an ability to successfully co-parent their children and hope for the future. Mediation is not right for everyone. If mediation is not right for you, I will represent you and negotiate a settlement for you in a non-adversarial and cost-efficient manner.

Not every couple or every case needs or can afford full representation by an attorney. I offer legal advice and counseling on an hourly basis and to whatever extent you need such as how to start an action, prepare court papers and what to expect in court. If you are already working with a mediator, I am available to act as your independent counsel to review your mediated agreement and answer questions you may not want to ask during your mediation.

Individuals still contemplating divorce or a legal separation can benefit by early legal counseling and guidance to help inform and prepare them for what is ahead and identify what they expect from their divorce and what is most important to them.

I am available and responsive to your calls and email and attentive to your specific needs and concerns.

Contact me for an initial consultation to discuss:

• Legal process and procedure including the different ways to divorce such as mediation,
collaborative divorce, adversarial divorce and the cost and time frame of each process.

• Expectations of outcome

• Goal setting and strategizing how to achieve those goals

• Emotional and financial impact of divorce

• Referrals to mental health professionals and financial advisors