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Bonnie C. Robson
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Bonnie C. Robson
The Law Offices of Bonnie Robson
18 North Main St., 2nd Floor
West Hartford, CT 06107
Phone: (860) 561-4178 | Fax: (860) 561-4183
http://www.robsonmediate.com
Child-Centered, Collaborative and Mediated Divorce
Legal Topic
Divorce
Preferred New Clients
My focus is on non-adversarial divorce services such as mediation and collaborative divorce. I also offer private mediation sessions to couples engaged in traditional litigation who are in need of problem-solving around parenting plans and/or child development issues contributing to an impasse. Individuals contemplating or about to embark on divorce, but who are unfamiliar with the choices available to them, also find a one to two hour divorce education consultation session useful.
Sub-Categories
Divorce
- Alimony/Palimony/Spousal Support
- Child Support
- Custody/Visitation Rights
- Delinquent Support Payments
- Division of Property
- Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR)
- Collaborative Law
Legal Topic
Family Law
Preferred New Clients
My focus is on non-adversarial divorce services such as mediation and collaborative divorce. I also offer private mediation sessions to couples engaged in traditional litigation who are in need of problem-solving around parenting plans and/or child development issues contributing to an impasse. Individuals contemplating or about to embark on divorce, but who are unfamiliar with the choices available to them, also find a one to two hour divorce education consultation session useful.
Sub-Categories
Family Law
- Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Child Support
- Custody
Bar Admissions
CT, Dec 1988
Bar Number: 309303
Specialty Certifications
Connecticut Superior Court; United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.
Other Court Admissions
Connecticut State Courts, 1988.
Association Memberships
Connecticut Bar Association; Hartford County Bar Association; International Association of Collaborative Professionals; Connecticut Council of Divorce Mediation and Collaboration; Connecticut Council of Divorce Lawyers; Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
Continuing Education
I have taken advanced trainings through the years at continuing legal education seminars in the following:
• Mediation
• Collaborative divorce
• Interdisciplinary collaborative divorce
• Domestic violence
• Child custody
Papers and Publications
I have had two articles published in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. Both were in the area of mental health law.
Example Cases
Example cases:
1. 20-year marriage, three children, professional husband; educated wife who has been out of the labor market for 15 years raising children.
2. 10-year marriage, one young child, both parents working and juggling family, work, and financial demands.
Education
Degree:
Juris Doctor
School:
Northeastern University School of Law
City:
Boston
State:
MA
Year:
1988
Focus and Accomplishments:
Family Law
Degree:
M.Ed
School:
Wheelock College
City:
Boston
State:
MA
Year:
1976
Degree:
B.A.
School:
University of Rochester
City:
Rochester
State:
NY
Year:
1970
Focus and Accomplishments:
Psychology
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
Connecticut
Firm Focus and History
In addition to my law degree, I have an advanced degree in child development. For the past 15 years, I have shared an office with my husband, who is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is flexibly available for consultation around specific child-related issues in divorce, for instance, in cases where pre-existing vulnerabilities exist.
The focus of my work is on helping divorcing families navigate difficult parenting and financial issues in ways that preserve the integrity of the family, while dissolving the marriage. Because of my conviction that non-adversarial divorce markedly reduces the damage to children and parents, I have limited my practice to the two non-adversarial approaches to divorce: mediation and collaborative divorce. In addition, I am often asked to provide divorce consultation to individuals and couples in the following areas:
• Choice of divorce approach.
• How to inform the children of an impending divorce.
• Behavioral issues in a child during divorce; parenting issues and mechanisms for communication.
• Parenting plans which take into account the developmental stages and temperaments of the children.
• Staged parenting plans that take into consideration the developing capacities of very young children.
Previous Employment Summary
• 1988: I started my law career at the firm of Updike, Kelly, & Spellacy, a large civil litigation firm in Hartford, CT. I was in the litigation department and focused on family law.
• 1992-1999: Co-Director (with Kenneth Robson, M.D.) of the Family Law Mediation Center located at the Institute of Living, Hartford, Connecticut.
• 1999-present: Private practice in Mediation and Collaborative Divorce, West Hartford, Connecticut.
Prior to law school, I had a career in child development. I worked at Tufts University, Department of Child Study in Medford, Massachusetts. I was a Research Associate to the Commissioner of Mental Health in the State of Massachusetts and I worked as the Director of a five town head start collaborative in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts.
Activities and Awards
• Special Master (mediation prior to custody trials) in the Regional Family Trial Docket for the State of Connecticut.
• Special Master (mediation prior to trial) for financial issues in the Hartford and New Britain Superior Courts.
• Law school-teaching assistant in Legal Research.
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
Clients who are well-educated in these matters more easily traverse the rough terrain that divorce involves. Mediation and divorce maximize client control of the divorce process.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I often serve as review counsel for the clients of other divorce mediators. I will review the agreement reached in mediation, and provide a legal analysis of the agreement, complete with any recommendations for revisions. I also assist my clients in the preparation of their financial documents and other court-required documentation.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
I am willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves. I will help prepare the paperwork and educate them around the issues that must be addressed in their divorce.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I was always interested in law. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my work with children, and with teachers of children, I had reached the point in my career where I wanted to "try something new." I decided to go to law school and combine my knowledge of child development with the law.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
My undergraduate degree in psychology and my graduate degree in child development help me to be a better lawyer. Certainly in the area of divorce, knowledge of psychology, skill in negotiation, awareness of how children at different stages of development are likely to react, and the "fit" between various parenting plans and the temperament of the children adds to my 20 years as a lawyer.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I wanted to help children and families. I knew that contentious, adversarial divorce would only serve to rupture the vulnerable family system, so mediation and collaborative divorce were of interest to me.
What do you like best about your career?
I am regularly asked by clients, "how can you stand to do this every day?" My answer is that I find it gratifying to be able to help people traverse a difficult life event in a better way. I know that I can't influence the divorce rate, or the decision an individual makes to pursue divorce. What I can influence is how people divorce, and I firmly believe that the process they choose is the critical variable that determines how well they and their children move through the divorce and the future.
Tell us about your law firm:
I have an office assistant who is warm, knowledgeable and very sensitive to clients needs.
What are your strengths and style?
I am a good listener and a creative problem solver. I genuinely care about helping my clients to prioritize what is most important in the divorce and help them reach those goals. I have a sense of humor and compassion.
Personal Interests:
I love to spend time with my family which consists of my husband, son and two long-haired dachshunds. I also love being with close friends. I am a voracious reader and knitter, enjoy movies, theater and travel, and regularly walk and do pilates.
Office Manager/Assistant
Sue Famiglietti.
Fax
(860) 561-4183
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
No. My fees are based on how many hours I spend on the matter.
Hourly Rates
$300 per hour.
Free Initial Consultation?
My initial consultation provides essential information and knowledge, based on my careers in child development and law and is based on my hourly fee.
Typical Retainer
$3,000 to $5,000.
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