MultiStar Collaborative Family Law & Mediation Services

Certified Maryland Collaborative Divorce & Custody Attorneys
and
Maryland Family Law Mediators and Collaborative Settlement Attorneys


Helping Clients achieve and file for Uncontested Divorce and/or Custody


For those who want to speak with a Certified Maryland Collaborative Divorce attorney with many years of experience practicing Maryland Family Law in many different Courts around the state of Maryland, who is also a Mediator for Maryland Divorce and Custody cases


Helping people avoid Maryland Family Court by using Mediation, or the Collaborative Law Alternative Dispute Resolution System, as can now be done in Maryland

in Montgomery County MD:
4445 Willard Avenue
6701 Democracy Blvd.
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Bethesda, MD 21817
9711 Washington Blvd.
Gaithersburg, MD 20878

in Prince George's PG County MD:
16701 Melford Blvd.
Bowie, MD 20715

in Baltimore County MD:
One Olympic Place
Towson, MD 22104

in Howard County MD:
10320 Little Patuxent Pkwy.
Columbia, MD 21817

in Anne Arundel County MD:
1125 West Street
Annapolis, MD 21401


in Western MD:
5100 Buckeystown Pike
11236 Robinwood Drive
Frederick, MD 21704
Hagerstown, MD 21742
in Frederick County MD
in Washington County MD



Serving all venues in Maryland via Zoom



Initial Consultations are available by video via Zoom or by Phone Without Video


Working with a Mediator or Collaborative Divorce Attorney may be a good option for those who:

--Want to Resolve/Settle their Maryland Family Law cases without Litigation, in a private way, on a timeline they set for themselves, rather than the Court's timeline, in creative ways the Court may not have the authority to do

--Want to avoid the risk, stress, extreme effort, bullying, and grandstanding that often occurs in the adversarial process of Litigation

--Have asked the Litigation divorce and custody attorneys, who are not Certified Collaborative Divorce Attorneys, that they have considered hiring, what the average total cost has been for them to litigate to the end cases similar to theirs and decided they do not want to pay this cost

Click HERE to schedule an appointment with one of our Certified Collaborative Divorce Attorneys to see if the Collaborative Law Process may be the best place for you to start your Maryland Family Law case


If you are a Certified Collaborative Divorce Attorney looking for another Certified Collaborative Divorce Attorney to work on a case with, Click HERE for more information



Taking Family Law cases to Court can be very expensive, unpredictable, and risky, as Maryland Law allows for a very wide range of Discretion by the judges and the judges may see things from a very different perspective than you may see them.   Even the very best of very experienced attorneys have lost cases they did not expect to lose.






The ending of romantic relationships happens to the very best of people.   Divorce and Custody resolution does not have to be a toxic or risky process.


Maryland certified Collaborative Law Attorneys and Mediators provide the Services of Mediation and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Collaborative Law System to those who want to move through the ending of their romantic relationships with honor, kindness, and generosity to preserve the non-romantic part of the relationship as much as possible to be able to better co-parent their children, and understanding that honoring the romantic relationship they once had, and a little generosity given to the other party at this stage, can avoid the Risk of Trial and save so much money that would otherwise be spent on Court costs and legal fees.


We help Clients with cases in All of Maryland save time, money, and stress by using Intentional Conscious Uncoupling to Settle Out Of Court rather than using contentious expensive Litigation for Maryland Divorce and Custody cases.


*You may be able to still use the Maryland Collaborative Law Sytem even if your Divorce or Custody case has already been filed as Maryland Law allows open cases to be taken off the docket to allow time for the parties to resolve their case via the Collaborative Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Process if both parties together request this.





Recommended Audiobook
To Improve Success In Your Case:

BIFF for CoParent Communication: Your Guide to Difficult Texts, Emails, and Social Media Posts
          by Bill Eddy, LCSW, ESQ, Annette T. Burns, JD, and, Kevin Chafin, LPC


(BIFF = Brief, Informative, Friendly, Firm -- Limited to approximately 5 sentences with No BlameSpeak, Defensive/Intense/Unmanaged Emotions, Lack Of Self-Awareness, or All-Or-Nothing positions)


*This audiobook not only explains how you can make things easier for yourself, but also shows how the judges and professionals in the Family Court system may be judging you.


This audiobook is available on Audible as a 4.5-hour long audio book on Audible.com.   If you do not already have an Audible account, they may give you this book for free as a Free Trial of their service.



Click HERE to schedule an appointment with one of our certified collaborative attorneys to see if the Collaborative Law Process may be the best place for you to start your case

Initial Consultations are available by Zoom or by Phone Without Video.


Meetings by Phone or Zoom are preferred.   However, for those who want to have Collaborative Settlement Meetings In-Person, we can arrange professional meeting accommodations in the following Locations with No charge for Travel-Time to or from these locations:

Rockville just off I-270 near North Potomac and Gaithersburg and convenient to Germantown via I-270); Bethesda just off I-270, and Chevy Chase on Willard Avenue (in Montgomery County, MD); Columbia just off Route 29 near Whole Foods and Bailey Park/Lake Kittamaqundi Trail (in Howard County, MD); Frederick just off I-270; Towson (just of 695 and York Road in Baltimore County, MD); Annapolis on West Street (in Anne Arundel County, MD); Stevensville about 15 miles from Annapolis just off Route 50 (in Queen Anne's County, MD, also convenient to Kent County, MD); Chesapeake Beach near North Beach (in Calvert County near Prince George's County, MD and Anne Arundel County MD); in Bowie, MD (in PG County MD); Waldorf (in Charles County MD); Ocean City (in Worcester County MD, also convenient to Wicomico County, MD); Cambridge (on the Eastern Shore in Dorchester County MD); Easton (in Talbot County MD, also somewhat convenient to Caroline County MD); Pocomoke City, MD, also somewhat convenient to Somerset County MD; Chestertown in Kent County MD); Salisbury (in Wicomico County, MD) near Salisbury City Park; near Hagerstown just off I-81 (in Washington County MD); near Cumberland just off I-68 (in Allegany County, also somewhat convenient to Garrett County MD), and Solomons (in Calvert County MD, also convenient to St. Mary's County MD) near the Boardwalk on Solomons Island and also Myrtle Point Park Beach and Trail.


We will also meet in the office of the other Collaborative Lawyer involved in the case anywhere in Maryland and will not charge for Travel-Time for going there.


For parties who live far apart, meeting half-way may be a fair option, or, meeting in a location both parties like, even though it may be far from one or both parties, may be an option.   We promote Flexibility in this way and does not charge for Travel-Time to or from places in Maryland.


Some hotels in Ocean City and near Cumberland, Maryland allow pets.   Clients needing a place that allows pets are responsible for finding a place that allows pets and for making their own reservations.




--All Initial Consultations are by Zoom or Phone Without Video only--

We do Maryland Family Law Collaborative Law Advocacy, Mediation, Legal Advising, Settlement Negotiation, and Agreement Drafting.



Click HERE for information about scheduling an Initial Consult with a Certified Collaborative Custody and Divorce Attorney and Mediator


The Collaborative Law Dispute Resolution process involves meeting with both parties and their attorneys.   The whole Collaborative Law Dispute Resolution process, or the whole Mediation process, can be easily and conveniently done via Zoom and meetings by Phone or Zoom are preferred.  


Using the Maryland Collaborative Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Process enables Clients to avoid Court and avoid the risk, cost, stress, and acrimony that is inherent in the Court process while at the same time having an experienced Maryland Family Law Attorney politely advocate for them in this negotiation process.


We help Clients in All Counties in Maryland who want to resolve their Divorce and Custody cases, and/or Co-Parent their children, with LESS Cost, Risk, Stress, and Expense by Avoiding Litigation.   Meetings by Phone or Zoom are preferred.


Our attorneys are skilled at resolving Divorce and Custody cases within the Maryland Collaborative Law Dispute Resolution System in a way that keeps negotiations on track in a Positive Diplomatic way.


We serve Clients who want their lawyers to behave diplomatically and who want their Maryland Family Law negotiation process done in the most polite and effective way possible based on their Attorney's knowledge gained from Experience in Maryland Family Courts and Diplomatic Mindset.


--With each party still having their own Maryland Certified Collaborative Attorney advising them about Maryland Family Law and skillfully diplomatically advocating for them within the Maryland Collaborative Law Dispute Resolution Process advocating for them, with the parties choosing to Settle their case based on what they and their respective attorneys conclude may be a range of possible outcomes if their case went to Trial, after working together to resolve their case, while avoiding the public Litigation System and the Risk, Cost, Stress, and Loss Of Privacy that are inherently involved in it


--With part of advising including advising how to avoid costly unnecessary and unhelpful battles


--Drafting Prenuptial Agreements (before marriage), Postnuptial Agreements (after marriage), and Final Settlement Agreements when desired


--If the case has already been filed so that there is an open case with a case number, Maryland Law permits the Court to do what they call "Stay" the case to allow the parties reasonable time to engage in the Collaborative Law Process, if they both request this.

This Collaborative Law Process includes educating clients about Maryland Family Law and helps people focus on moving forward, in as positive a manner as possible, in ways that are best for the children involved, as they legally structure, or re-structure, their families.

The Collaborative Law Process is for people who want to resolve their Maryland Family Law cases with as much honor, generosity, and privacy as possible and consciously navigate the Maryland Family Law Process where each party has their own attorney advising and advocating for them in a conciliatory manner.


The Out-Of-Court Collaborative Law Process is a structured form of Alternative Dispute Resolution recognized By The State Of Maryland
(Where both parties each have their own specially-trained certified Collaborative Law Attorney advising them and working together to resolve the Divorce and/or Custody case without Litigating in Court)


The drawing below is an illustration of how both you and the Other Party can be sure you are right and the judge may still see things from a different perspective than either one of you.   This is a risk you run by going to Trial, no matter how right you think you are and no matter how good you think your attorney may be.   Judges are not limited to considering only the things you and your attorney may argue, but are free to view things from their own perspective that nobody in the room may have mentioned.   Seeing this happen over the years help given our attorneys the appreciation they have for resolving cases without going to Trial.






Our attorneys' many years of Litigation Experience has given them a deep appreciation for the Value of resolving Maryland Family Law cases Collaboratively Out Of Court to avoid the risk, cost, stress, and acrimony often involved in Litigation.


Our attorneys' extensive Litigation Experience has given them the perspective to be able to work well with other like-minded Collaborative Family Law attorneys to possibly achieve results faster, more predictably, less contentiously, and less expensively than may be achieved through the Court system.


Our Certified Collaborative Law attorneys have the Mindset, Experience, and Training to keep things on a Collaborative track in a way that is respectful and best for any Children that may be involved, and also for the parties moving forward with their co-parenting relationship.


If you let your Custody case remain on the path of Litigation, it is possible that the Court may appoint an attorney for the minor children involved in the case, called a "Best-Interest Attorney (BIA)."   If this happens, you and the other parent may be ordered to pay for this attorney.   Once a case is filed, the Court may appoint a BIA even if neither one of the parties requests this, and the position these attorneys take can be as unpredictable as the positions the judges take.


The same applies to Parenting Coordinators in the state of Maryland.   --If someone asserts that the parties have not been able to communicate well and are what is known as a "high-conflict" case, the Court may appoint a Parenting Coordinator to facilitate communication between the parties, and the parties may be ordered to pay for this.   -- Refusing to try to work things out with the Other Parent can be very expensive and risky.   As with Best-Interest Attorney, the postion Parent Coordinators take can be very unpredictable.


The same applies to any Experts who may be hired for a case.   Experts do not always take the position you may think they will take becasue you are paying for them.   Another thing you are at risk of is being ordered to pay for the Expert the Other Party hires for the case, as well as the attorney fees the Other Party incurred for their part of the case, as in any Divorce and/or Custody case, the Other Party can possibly be ordered to pay the Other Party's attorney fees and suit costs.


Our certified collaborative law attorneys are highly motivated to work within the Collaborative Law Process, as they have seen so much of the damaging effects of the Litigation process on everyone involved and has come to learn, as many great martial artists have, that the best way to really win a fight is to strategically avoid it in the first place, which is what the Process of the Collaborative Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Process helps people achieve.


As the people who often want to avoid War the most are the people who have been War, often the people who want to Litigate the most are the ones who have no real idea how negative and Unpredictable the process and the outcome can be.   Sometimes it takes years of Experience to gain a full appreciation for the Value of avoiding the Litigation Process.


Some attorneys never gain an appreciation for avoiding Litigation, even after many years of litigating.   This is why it is very important to make sure you have two attorneys who are not only Certified Collaborative Law Attorneys licensed in the state of Maryland, but who also have the Mindset of wanting to Avoid Litigation and help you do the same, if your goal is to avoid Litigation and keep things as diplomatic as possible.


The population we serve are those who appreciate the abilty and skill of avoiding fighting and negative theatrics and view this as a strength, rather than a "weakness," leaving those who have little appreciation for this free to choose the many other attorneys who will be glad to serve them.






The Collaborative Law process is for people who see the value in avoiding the risk, cost, and stress of Litigation.   The world is very big with so much opportunity.


There is opportunity now for people who want to move forward in the most conciliatory way possible, where each party has an attorney who has a good understanding of Maryland Family Law, and those attorneys have the mindset and skill to keep things as conciliatory as possible while gently advocating their clients' positions.   These are the Clients we serve.


The Collaborative Law Process is a System that protects the participants from the cost, stress, and damage the traditional Litigation system can involve.   Our world is so big with so many options.   We serve Clients who want to take advantage of the Collaborative Law System option and conduct their Divorces and/or Custody cases in non-toxic ways.


Some people do not know that conducting a Divorce or Custody case in a way that is non-toxic is even possible.   However, just like making arrangements to sell one's home can be done in a non-toxic way, even though one never thought they would have to move, and would rather not move, so too can going through a Divorce and/or Custody case be done in a way that is non-toxic.


Would The Collaborative Law System Be Good For Everyone?


The Collaborative Law system is an option many people choose when thay want someone to advocate for them without the negativity that is so often involved in Litigation because they want to spend their focus, efforts, and resources working things out rather than spending their focus, efforts, and resources positioning to fight battles.   Many people end up spending over $100,000 each to fight divorce and custody battles, and for many of these people, they cannot even imagine wanting to spend their efforts on working with the Other Party to resolve matters rather than spending their efforts preparing for battle.


The Collaborative Law system is a good option for people who do not want to make Litigation the center of their lives for a long period of time and do not want to spend their time tying to find and prove fault with the Other Party, but who want to instead move forward with legally restructuring their lives in as positive, inexpensive, and risk-adverse manner as possible with an Maryland Family Law attorney advocating for their rights in a civil manner with another like-minded attorney doing the same for their Client.   This is the population we serve.


We also offer Maryland Divorce and Custody Mediation Service for parties who prefer to resolve their Maryland Family Law case that way.


Our attorneys will also be glad to give some experienced legal advice, based on many years of experience in Maryland Family Law Courts, to Clients who are not fortunate enough to be working with another Party who is willing to work within the Collaborative Law System or resolve the case by seeing a Mediator.



Click HERE to schedule an appointment with one of our Maryland Collaborative Law Attorneys and Mediators