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7300 West Camino Real, Suite 203
Boca Raton,
Florida
33433
Phone: 561-620-2002 or 954-481-8881
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A Friendly Divorce - Think It's Impossible? Think Again.
Divorce is a major life transition that affects almost every area of your life. Whether you have children or not, we can help you. At A Friendly Divorce, our mission and purpose is to make your divorce as easy, painless, and friendly as possible.
We have three main objectives:
- Helping you and your spouse conserve resources, as you make the transition from living in one household to two.
- Encouraging a positive relationship between you and your soon to be ex, so that you can best move into the next phase of your lives.
- Preparing you for successful co-parenting, if there are children involved.
At A Friendly Divorce, we provide divorce mediation and document preparation services. Our unique mediation model makes it easier for you to talk to and find agreement with your spouse. We are headquartered in Boca Raton, convenient to Broward and Palm Beach Counties. But we serve couples throughout Florida and South Florida.
What is a Friendly Divorce?
Divorce should not destroy a family. Instead, we see divorce as a process of family reorganization: the marriage bond ends and Husband and Wife remain Mom and Dad, eventually becoming Grandma and Grandpa to the same babies. When there are no children involved, couples still need to divide their property and finances. This is best done by clearing negative emotions and working together on solutions.
During a traditional divorce, each party retains an attorney. The attorney's job is not to encourage positive family functioning. Instead, the attorney's primary goal is to protect his/her client's legal rights and interests. This model is needed when one spouse needs legal protection, doesn't know enough about the family's financial situation, or feels intimidated because of domestic violence or coercion.
BUT IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR EVERYONE. For many families, a traditional divorce promotes hatred and sets up intense legal battles that become unnecessarily draining and unsettling. THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!
At A Friendly Divorce, we cannot protect either spouse's legal rights or investigate hidden assets. Instead, we offer a format for communication and a unique mediation model that promotes problem solving. We will work with you and your spouse, without attorneys, to design an agreement that can guide your family in the future. Typically this agreement will cover your finances and, if you have children, your parenting plan and child support.
After we prepare the agreement we can also fill in the forms that you will need to present to the court. If you choose, you may then have an attorney and/or an accountant review these documents. Ultimately, the agreement and forms will be filed with the Clerk of the Court and your case can be set for a final hearing as an uncontested dissolution of marriage.
About Us
Thank you for considering us as your mediators. Hopefully the bios below will aid you as you come to a decision regarding how you will be best served through the divorce process.
Dr. Elinor Robin
Dr. Elinor is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator specializing in professional and personal relationship matters. She is licensed as both a Mental Health Counselor and a Marriage and Family Therapist. Dr. Elinor has a background in small business; a Ph.D. in Psychology, with a specialization in Conflict Management; and a wide range of experiences from within the family, civil, criminal, and juvenile courts.
Born and raised in New York, Dr. Elinor has lived in South Florida for over twenty years, spending much of this time working within the legal system. She is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediation Trainer and has trained over 5,000 people, nationally and internationally, in mediation. Additionally, Dr. Elinor has mediated thousands of divorces, successfully assisting in conflict management and transformation.
Dr. Elinor's work as a mediator is geared towards encouraging the navigation of transitions from current circumstances towards ideal ones. This work lets her tap into what she's learned from her own and others' life experiences.
David Spofford, JD
David is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator. His career has included law practice in Texas and Florida, time as a software engineer, and his on-going life coaching and mediation practices. A "seeker" for most of his adult life, David is very involved with various personal growth and men's groups. He has spent the last quarter century gathering, learning and using tools to aid himself and others in claiming and experiencing the glorious lives we all deserve. His formal education includes the following achievements:
- Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Houston, Houston, TX
- Masters of Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
- Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Houston, Houston, TX
- Professional Coaching Certificate Program, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Together
Together, David and Elinor offer:
- A unique co-mediation model that offers a male-female balance
- Problem-solving tools that stress personal responsibility and individual choice
- Knowledge and understanding of both the legal and the psychological/emotional issues of divorce
- Compassion, clarification, and understanding
- Keen vision for things that may be otherwise overlooked
- Help with negotiation, communication, and conflict management
- A positive, practical, and holistic perspective
- Assistance in creating collaboration and win-win results
- An exploration of all sides of an issue and the possible actions and strategies for its optimal resolution
Together, we have raised two children (who lived through divorce) to adulthood. Today, we are continuing to watch as they display integrity and passion in their lives. We live in Boca Raton, with our dogs, Stella and Roscoe.
Please email us or visit our website for additional information.
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