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Panelist
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Alex Green IV, PLLC
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ADR Section Chair-Elect
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Welcome and Introductory Remarks
August 26, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. ET
Topic
Opening remarks delivered by Alex Green IV
Pre-Mediation Meetings in Divorce Mediation
August 26, 2025 | 10:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. ET
Topic
Research shows the efficacy of initial separate meetings with each party, yet most mediators do not conduct pre-mediation meetings. This workshop will examine the research and outcomes of pre-mediation separate meetings, and give the do's and don'ts to make them efficient and effective. Included is a video of pre-mediation meetings in a divorce mediation simulation.
Panelist
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Zena Zumeta
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Mediation Training & Consultation Institute
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Mediating Divorce Cases Involving Business Owners: Navigating Complex Asset Division Under Michigan Law
August 26, 2025 | 11:10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Topic
Join this lively, interactive session with an experienced attorney-mediator and insightful financial expert/business valuator! Divorces involving business owners present unique challenges, particularly in Michigan, where marital and separate property laws can significantly impact the division of business interests and where working with the income can achieve awards of child support and spousal support that work for both sides. Learn mediation strategies for bridging the gaps between owner and spouse. Explore options for using a neutral consulting financial expert and for conducting joint conference with the competing experts. This virtual presentation will focus on mediation strategies for navigating the complexities of business ownership in divorce cases, helping mediators and attorneys facilitate fair, sustainable agreements that balance financial, legal, and emotional considerations.
Panelists
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David C. Sarnacki
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The Sarnacki Law Firm PLC
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Michelle F. Gallagher, CPA/ABV/CFF
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Adamy Valuation Strategic Partner
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Incorporating Mediation into the Filing of a Joint Petitions for Divorce
August 26, 2025 | 12:10 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Topic
This seminar will highlight the process of guiding a couple from mediation to the filing of a joint petition for divorce. We will focus on utilizing alternative dispute resolution and the efficient joint petition for divorce process in lieu of filing a traditional lawsuit. This approach allows couples to finalize their divorce through the less adversarial mediation process, rather than initiating a lawsuit against their spouse, which can lead to a smoother legal process and improved emotional well-being for the couple moving forward.
Panelists
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Julia Griffiths
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Griffiths & Willing Law
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Andrea Banfield
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Banfield Couling Law & Mediation, PLLC
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Faith-based Divorce Mediation in Orthodox Judaism
August 26, 2025 | 1:10 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
Topic
Sarah Nissel and Yona Elishis will present the Jewish Divorce Assistance Center of Los Angeles's unique mediation model — honed over the past ten years — that has developed best practices for addressing distinctive intercultural challenges prevalent in the community JDAC services as well as related negotiation and problem solving techniques that have proven to be successful. Their seminar and clinic at Pepperdine's Caruso School of Law teaches at the intersection of California family law, Jewish religious law and alternative dispute resolution. Specifically, within the realm of Jewish practice, the course explores how the Get - the Jewish divorce decree - can run conjointly to as well as afoul of the civil divorce process. Participants will:
1. Achieve an understanding of the cultural and practical nuances surrounding the Jewish Get and how it can profoundly affect a negotiation, arbitration or mediation.
2. Explore alternative and creative mediation models that may meet certain cultural and/or emotional objectives.
Panelists
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Sarah Nissel
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Pepperdine University
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Yona Elishis
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Pepperdine University
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