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Contact Suzanne Brunsting

After forty years as a family law and matrimonial attorney, my practice is limited to Mediation and Collaborative Divorce. I believe that people facing separation and divorce should be given the opportunity to choose a process for resolving their differences that honors their participation and trusts their ability to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. As a mediator, collaborative lawyer and settlement advocate, I help couples divorce intelligently and creatively, considerate of one another and of their children.

English Teacher before law school; general civil practice in Pennsylvania for 6 years with first mediation training during that time; Monroe County Legal Assistance Program, then private practice at Davidson Fink in Rochester, NY for 14 years, with second and third mediation trainings during this time; sole practitioner providing mediation and collaborative divorce services exclusively since 2004.

I have experience for more than 40 years helping clients understand and resolve conflict. As a litigator for 20 years, I helped settle more than 95% of my cases; as a mediator and collaborative lawyer (exclusively since 2004), at least 95% of my cases have been able to be resolved without litigation or the threat of court. My first 40-hour mediation training was in 1985 with skill training for mediation and collaborative law ongoing. Since that time, my legal education and experience has included workshops and courses in mediation, settlement advocacy and collaborative skills. Since 2001, I have taught collaborative law theory, ethics and skills throughout the United States and Canada.

BA University of Arizona 1972 Juris Doctor University of Arizona 1981

I offer clients a free half hour to talk about process choices so that each person has a comfort level and knowledge base for moving forward confidently. From the kitchen table, to mediation, to collaborative divorce, to court-based settlement to litigation - this is not a one-size fits all choice. How much support do you need to be fully informed and feel supported as you negotiate family law issues and transitions? Would a financial professional or child specialist enhance the opportunity for healing and full settlement? I also work closely with other mediators as a consulting collaborative lawyer when clients need additional help and resources to reach agreement. I believe that with the appropriate support, most people are able to make their way through separation and divorce without resort to the courts. As difficult as it might be at this time, the choices you make at the beginning of a process to separate or divorce will in large part determine the way your separation or divorce turns out, what kind of relationship you have in the future and how your children adjust. The guiding principle of Mediation and Collaborative Divorce is respect; the respectful atmosphere in the room encourages understanding, compassion and cooperation. Mediators and Collaborative Lawyers are specially trained in supporting constructive conversations and providing structure for non-adversarial negotiations.

There is a free half hour session to discuss process choice. Thereafter, I charge $350 per hour. Often, a neutral financial professional and/or child specialist can bring their expertise to the process and reduce my fees. Because I am a lawyer licensed to practice in New York, I can integrate the preparation of the net worth statement and settlement agreement that will form the basis of the divorce.