Maxa S. Berid, Esq. Eric Schutzbank, Esq. Berid & Schutzbank, LLC Email Us 327 Gorham Street, 4th Floor Lowell, Massachusetts 01852 Phone: 978-459-0396 Fax: 978-458-2307

Berid & Schutzbank, LLC is a full-service law firm with offices located at the historic Old Central Firehouse in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. Maxa S. Berid first opened her private practice in 1982. Her nephew, Eric Schutzbank, came aboard in 1995. Together, they founded the firm in 2005. Berid & Schutzbank prides itself on delivering superior, cost-effective legal services to its clients. We understand that the client’s goals and concerns are always paramount. While our firm concentrates in the areas of family law, criminal law, and elder law, we provide a broad range of legal services throughout the Merrimack Valley, including Middlesex, Essex and Worcester Counties, as well as throughout Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

Maxa Berid has worked in Lowell since 1974. She has lived in this area since the early 70’s and has always been an active participant in the local community. She has been in the same location since 1982. She has been involved in many local community organizations and bar associations.

Eric Schutzbank has worked his entire legal career in Lowell. He first began residing in the Lowell area part time during the summer of 1989 and moved here full time in 1995. He has spent his entire practice in the same office, starting as an Associate and being promoted to Partner.

We represent and advise clients in the areas of:

• Divorce and family law
• Custody and child support
• Mediation in all areas of the law
• Collaborative law
• Unbundled legal services

Attorney Profiles:

Maxa S. Berid is the firm’s managing partner. She concentrates her practice in the areas of Divorce, Family Law, Elder Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. She has been practicing in Lowell for over twenty-six years and has over thirty years of experience practicing family law. She represents individual clients, is an experienced mediator, and also practices Collaborative Law. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University in 1964 and her law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1967. She has been practicing in Massachusetts since 1971.

After spending eight years as Director of Merrimack Valley Legal Services with offices in Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill, she left to establish her own firm in 1982. Since that time, Attorney Berid's firm has been located in the Old Central Firehouse in historic downtown Lowell.

Attorney Berid's fields of practice primarily include family law (divorce, custody, removal, parenting issues, child support, contempts and grandparents rights), guardianships, elder issues and planning for spouses, caring for frail and infirm parents and relatives, Guardian ad Litem appointments by the courts, mediation, and collaborative law. Attorney Berid is also a trained mediator and has fifteen years of experience providing alternative dispute resolution services to families and others trying to resolve issues between them. The consistent purpose of her work in both the public and private sectors has been to make the legal process work effectively and efficiently for her clients. She has always strived to make people’s lives better through the purposeful use of the law.

Attorney Berid is very active in local and state bar associations, legal services, and civil work. She was the first female President of the Greater Lowell Bar Association and has also served as President on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation. In addition, she has just completed eight years of service on the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has now appointed her to serve on the Commission for Access to Justice. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors of Merrimack Valley Legal Services. Attorney Berid is a former Adjunct Professor of Law and continues to guest lecture for various continuing legal education programs and community groups.

Maxa is involved in community and civic activities in the Greater Lowell area and throughout Massachusetts. She currently serves on the Marketing Committee for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society’s Hike for Discovery program.

Eric Schutzbank is the firm’s chief litigation partner. He concentrates his practice in the areas of Domestic Relations, Criminal Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Civil Litigation. He has over eleven years of experience practicing family and criminal law. He represents individual clients, is trained for mediation, and also practices Collaborative Law. Eric is also admitted to practice in New Hampshire, where his sole area of practice is in domestic relations matters. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1992 and his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1995.

Attorney Schutzbank’s primary fields of practice include family law (divorce, custody, removal, parenting issues, child support, contempts and grandparents rights), criminal law, guardianships, and elder issues. He also receives Guardian ad Litem appointments by the courts and offers non-traditional family law services such as mediation and collaborative law. Attorney Schutzbank is dedicated to working with his clients to secure a result that meets their needs while providing sound counsel to ensure that their goals are achievable.

Eric is very active in local and state bar associations, is committed to community service activities, and has served on the boards of multiple nonprofit organizations. Attorney Schutzbank is an active member of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council. He is also a mock trial coach for Lowell Catholic High School and for the Greater Lowell Law Explorers. Attorney Schutzbank is a past President of the Greater Lowell Bar Association and past Chair on the Mock Trial Committee of the Massachusetts Bar Association. He still serves on that committee and is also on the Marketing Committee for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society’s Hike for Discovery program.

Please email us or visit our website for additional information.