The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) conducted a survey among its members which revealed that 61 percent have seen an increase in the number of divorces among people over 50 in the United States.

Uncontested divorce in California is becoming commonplace, as more men and women relish the notion of mediation, collaborative divorce, and settling matters among themselves. Without going to the courtroom, more divorces are uncontested.

Divorce is more difficult to accept when it's initiated by your spouse and you, yourself, feel the marriage is salvageable. However, after exhausting all options, once divorce is inevitable, it's important not to twist this emotionally devastating.

When mediation first started, most mediators worked on their own. And a talented mediator can certainly help couples reach a settlement, but as the years went on I found myself suggesting that we add an attorney or a therapist to our mediation.

Mediation and Collaborative law help you to have these discussions in a safe and neutral setting. Your mediator or collaborative professional will help you identify all the options for each topic and go over the different choices with you so that you

Elena Panaritis to speak at USC re: Tackling the Roots of the Crisis: A Proposal for Stabilizing Property; Santa Clara re: A Powerful Formula for Prosperity for the World's Poor, and UCLA re: Promising Road to Sustainable Economic Growth and Peace