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Diane Neumann, Esq.
Kirk Fallis, Esq.
Ellen Waldorf, Esq.
Dr. Lynn K. Cooper
126A Main Street, #2
Watertown,
Massachusetts
02472
Phone: 617-926-9100
Toll-Free: 800-926-9122 |
Diane Neumann & Associates
Full Service Divorce Mediation for Separating and Divorcing Clients
Since 1981, our firm has assisted clients in making fair divorce agreements. Our goal is the same as yours: to assist you in making informed decisions, conserving your financial resources, and minimizing emotional upset during your divorce.
Studies show that divorce mediation results in:
- A fair divorce settlement for each person
- A reasonable divorce, which reduces anger concerning custody and finances
- Significant financial and tax savings for each person
- Lower costs than an attorney-controlled collaborative divorce
- A divorce settlement in less time than with a litigated divorce
- Superior parenting arrangements for you and your child
- Improved relationships between a child and parent
- A comprehensive support settlement that eliminates the need for future court proceedings
We are the only full-service divorce mediation firm that has been serving Boston-area clients for over 26 years. Whether your situation is relatively straightforward or complex, we can assist you at any time before or after your separation to the final written divorce settlement, while significantly minimizing the cost and stress of divorce.
Clients bring various concerns to us and may need information on:
- Alimony and child support
- The division of assets
- Divorce options
- More effective communication with a spouse
- Well-informed parenting plans for the children
- The marital home
- Becoming more financially sophisticated
- The final divorce agreement
Diane Neumann, Esq., the principal of the firm, is a nationally-renowned divorce mediator and author. After twenty-eight years of practice, Diane Neumann & Associates continues to be the only firm in Massachusetts exclusively providing divorce mediation. Our reputation rests on the high quality and comprehensive mediation services that our clients receive.
Our expertise is working with you and your spouse in mediation to draft a fair and comprehensive divorce settlement – one that maximizes financial and tax savings as well as fostering cooperation. The agreement we write is directly submitted to the court, and all of your paperwork will be prepared by us.
If you choose our mediation firm, no retainer is required.
One of our mediators will gladly speak with you over the phone at no cost. We look forward to assisting you.
About Our Mediators
Our firm consists of four distinguished mediators, each of whom brings years of experience in all aspects of divorce and mediation. Our mediators have the highest success rate in Massachusetts in reaching final settlements. Diane Neumann, Ellen Waldorf and Kirk Fallis are licensed Massachusetts attorneys and Dr. Lynn Cooper is a licensed Massachusetts clinical psychologist.
We will assist you in determining which mediator is best suited to your specific situation.
Diane Neumann, J.D., M.A. is the principal of the firm. She began her mediation practice in 1981. She is recognized as one of the foremost mediators in the country. Diane is the author of two highly acclaimed books: Divorce Mediation: How to Cut the Cost and Stress of Divorce and Choosing a Divorce Mediator, published by Henry Holt & Co. In addition to her practice, she has been training mediators since the mid 1980’s.
Diane’s areas of expertise are two-fold: complex financial and tax matters, and difficult custody and parenting issues. She is Past President of both the national Academy of Family Mediators and the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation. She holds a Juris Doctorate and a Master of Arts in Counseling. Her experience as a licensed Massachusetts attorney, a couples and family counselor, and an Internal Revenue Service Representative make her uniquely suited to help people reach a settlement.
Ellen Waldorf, J.D. is an attorney-mediator with substantial experience in divorce mediation. She received her law degree in 1993 from the New York University School of Law, where she was a member of the New York University Law Review. Ellen is a cum laude graduate of Yale University and was a corporate attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Ellen is admitted to the bar in Massachusetts.
Ellen assists couples in understanding their financial options concerning the ownership, buy-out, allocation and transfer of marital assets: real estate, retirement plans, brokerage accounts, stock options and other assets – all of which are subject to underlying complexities. Ellen is well-versed in the IRS and Massachusetts Tax Codes and can therefore aid couples in reaching a better financial settlement. She informs individuals about extremely important subjects in divorce, such as health insurance and life insurance. She endeavors to assist her clients in making fully informed and fair decisions that can be honored after the divorce.
Ellen also helps clients with parenting plans that are tailored to their unique circumstances, yet are within the parameters that the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court will approve. Consistent with the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines, she drafts language that clearly details responsibility for the children’s current and future expenses. She encourages parents to anticipate changes to their parenting and support arrangements as their children grow older and financial circumstances change. Ellen has experience mediating complicated parenting issues and has worked with parents of children with special needs who will require support services as adults.
Ellen has mediated the division of complex financial assets such as businesses, stock options and trusts. Drawing on her background as a corporate attorney, Ellen understands the unique characteristics of these assets.
Kirk Fallis, LL.B., M.A., LL.M. is an attorney. He previously worked as corporate counsel for London Life and A.G.F., providing advice to policyholders in the area of investments, estates, and retirement planning. Prior to joining Diane Neumann & Associates, Kirk was an attorney in the California Superior Court, where he developed and implemented guidelines to assist judges in effectively and efficiently managing cases through the mediation process. Kirk also worked for the Massachusetts Office of Dispute Resolution, providing mediation and training to the judges of the Superior Court, as well as state agencies.
Kirk completed an advanced law degree in International Law from Golden Gate School of Law in San Francisco and has completed postgraduate course work in negotiation and mediation at Harvard University. He has published in the Journal of Social Issues in the area of intransigent interpersonal and organizational conflict. Kirk is a member of the Massachusetts Bar, the State Bar of California, and the Law Society of Upper Canada, where he has been licensed to practice law since 1992. In addition, Kirk has a Masters degree from the Program in Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Kirk’s mediation expertise has long been established, with many years of experience in the field prior to joining the firm. The clients who work best with Kirk are typically salaried individuals with a marital residence, retirement plans, and various accounts and liabilities. Kirk is extremely knowledgeable on all issues of custody, child support guidelines, real estate, retirement plans, and small businesses.
Dr. Lynn K. Cooper, Ed.D. is a licensed psychologist. Since 1975, she has specialized in child, family and couple relationships. Lynn trained as a mediator and added her expertise to Diane Neumann & Associates in 1993.
Dr. Cooper is an expert in the assessment and treatment of behavioral problems in children, with expertise in treating children whose problems are related to separation and divorce. As a mediator, she works with parents who are in the process of coping with separation and divorce and who want the best parenting arrangement for their children. Her work includes families with special needs children as well as children in nontraditional relationships.
As a divorce mediator, Lynn’s expertise includes the full range of relevant financial and legal issues, as well as children’s issues. She assists clients with a complete settlement involving all aspects of divorce: the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines and calculation, the marital home, health and life insurance, pension and retirement, federal and state taxes, and capital gains concerns.
Lynn is a former Vice President of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation. She is the Chairperson of the Certification Committee for the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation. As chairperson, she reviews the credentials of mediators applying for certification as divorce mediators in Massachusetts. Lynn is a member of the Association for Conflict Resolution, a national association of practitioners.
Lynn is a Board Certified Clinical Psychologist, a Fellow of the Academy of Clinical Psychology, both a past and current President of the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Psychologists, a member of the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, and is a licensed psychologist at the Health Service Provider level in Massachusetts.
Lynn received her B.A. from Brandeis University, where she was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her doctorate in counseling psychology from Boston University, having been the recipient of a three-year Title IV national Defense of Education Act fellowship.
Please email us or visit our website for additional information.
