WHO WE ARE
 

Our practice is born of our personal experiences, both as professionals and as mothers and wives. Between us we have three marriages, one acrimonious divorce, seven children -- one with special needs -- and a desire to foster a more civilized and less contentious family environment.Our first-hand experiences of the challenges and pitfalls relationships pose allow us to fully understand the problems faced by the clients we serve; we have learned from our own mistakes and from the mistakes of others.

We understand that there is no single, right answer that works for everyone. In our practice, we have seen many different approaches and solutions that work for people in conflict. We are skilled at helping people navigate difficult conversations around elder care, family businesses, estate planning and end-of-life decisions. We are dedicated to finding a better way for people to separate, to get divorced, to preserve family assets and, most importantly, to protect the well-being of their children -- all without court intervention. First and foremost, we are committed to building viable lines of communication, whether in preserving strong family ties and nurturing happy children, or creatively resolving business disputes.

Lauren Albert has over 25 years of legal experience including: commercial, intellectual property and antitrust litigation; matrimonial law, and antitrust mergers and counseling. For 16 years, she was a partner at Manhattan-based Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider, LLP. Previously, she was an attorney at the law firms of Dewey Ballantine and Proskauer Rose.

Lauren received a law degree in 1988 from George Washington University,  where she was a member of the Law Review. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Brown University, from which she graduated magna cum laude in 1985.

Wendy Belzberg is an experienced, court-approved mediator specializing in child custody and visitation.  A former producer for ABC News, Wendy combines years of research and reporting with objectivity and compassion. She is expert at identifying and removing obstacles to shared family responsibility, in business or personal relationships.

Wendy earned a Masters Degree in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University in 2010. She graduated cum laude from Barnard College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981.