Ginsburg Leshin Gibbs & Jones's clients look for help in finding peaceable and pragmatic resolutions of disputes related to:
These disputes arise in the context of potential or commenced legal proceedings: divorce, modifications, contempts, or paternity. Our representation runs the gamut from consultations with clients who work with a mediator to four-way meetings designed to negotiate out-of-court settlements to arbitrations, to motion hearings, pre-trial conferences and trials in the Probate and Family Court.
Julie and Michael are trained as collaborative lawyers, and represent clients through the collaborative law process. The Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council website describes this process. At its core, this process uses a series of meetings for the negotiation of a settlement in lieu of litigation.
We serve as mediators for the whole range of family law disputes that arise for married, formerly married, and unmarried couples. The Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation website provides information concerning mediation.
Marital mediation is a growing area of family mediation that helps couples explore the option of staying married rather than getting divorced.
This format for mediation has also helped divorced/divorcing couples to successfully remain living together until they are financially able to separate.
Marital mediation uses mediation techniques to open and improve lines of communication, help couples address areas of friction in their relationship, and develop “guidelines” that focus on the behavioral changes each person will make in order to lessen future conflict. Marital mediation is a service offered by Julie Ginsburg.
In contrast to mediation, a facilitative process, we also serve as conciliators and provide evaluations for cases. We meet with the parties and their counsel and formulate settlement options.
We also serve as arbitrators. Through arbitration, we write a decision addressing the issues presented. We work with counsel to design a structure for the arbitration hearing that best suits their clients’ needs.
Through this process, we attempt to facilitate the settling of the parents’ scheduling and caretaking disputes. If no agreement is reached, we can then provide written recommendations.
Where parents disagree about custody and/or ancillary child-related issues, a Court will typically appoint a Guardian ad Litem to investigate and, many times, make recommendations as to custody and/or a parenting plan. Through this appointment we will prepare a report which is filed with the Court.
With decades of experience as a Guardian ad Litem, Julie Ginsburg will provide parents or attorneys with an advisory opinion concerning disputed parenting schedule and custody issues. This service enables either or both parents as well as their counsel to better assess whether to seek the appointment of a Guardian ad Litem. In addition, her advice can assist counsel and parents with developing strategies for addressing their parenting goals during the course of mediations, attorney-negotiations and litigation.
Through a consultation, we can provide a client with a second opinion to assist them with evaluating options and strategies. We also provide case evaluations to lawyers to assist them with advising their clients. These consultations provide guidance as to economic issues, as well as for addressing parenting issues and remaining focused on a child’s needs.