Mara Bernstein 
My practice is not what I would call “amicable” divorce. I call it “Adult” divorce because my clients are the same divorcing couples as my former litigation clients—many times filled with resentment, hurt, anger and pain. The difference is that they understand that fighting it out in court is not the answer. They want what … Read more
Last month, I chaired the Boca Raton Host Committee for the annual Florida Association of Collaborative Professionals (FACP) Conference. 200 Collaborative Divorce Attorneys, Forensic Accountants, Facilitators (mental health professionals) and “Allied Professionals” ranging from investment advisors, mortgage specialists, real estate professionals gathered to advance their skills and connect with fellow Collaborative Divorce practitioners from around … Read more
Pre-divorce strategic planning is a vital and imperative step for individuals contemplating or initiating divorce proceedings. It involves thoughtful preparation, fact finding and decision-making to ensure a smoother transition into the divorce process and the best results possible. Here is what, pre-divorce strategic planning looks like: By engaging in pre-divorce strategic planning, you WILL can … Read more
The Statistics say YES! Litigated divorces can take years. The average length of a case in my office is 7 months. Here’s why: 1.We Stay Out of The Courtroom: We are not controlled by the court’s schedule, delay, adjournments, repeated extensions, continuances and backlog (sound stressful? it is!) Collaborative Divorce allows the parties to schedule … Read more
Prenuptial Agreements, often seen as a delicate subject, offer numerous benefits, fostering open communication and financial transparency in a relationship. Here are some advantages worth considering: 1. Prenuptial Agreements establish clear expectations regarding finances, assets, and debts, minimizing conflicts and misunderstandings in the future. This clarity can be especially crucial in second marriages or when … Read more
Divorce affects every aspect of a person’s life—the things that we hold most dear to us: family, financial security, and expectations and dreams about our future. All that is tossed around and disassembled during divorce. How do you stay on course when everything you know, depended on, relied on and loved, is in flux? How … Read more
When surgeons prepare for procedures, they will inevitably have on hand different instruments depending upon the patient’s diagnosis, the specific procedure being done, the patient’s physical condition, the goals of the surgery and the prognosis. Like surgeons preparing for a thoroughly diagnosed procedure, as divorce attorneys, we too, must be prepared and armed with different … Read more
As a divorce attorney who has litigated, settled, mediated, and facilitated hundreds of divorces, I am very passionate about collaborative divorce (also known by me as private divorce). Here’s why: Collaborative divorce won’t change the fact that divorce is hard. During the collaborative divorce process, we don’t sit around a conference table, join hands, and magically … Read more
When surgeons prepare for procedures, they will inevitably have different instruments on hand depending upon: each patient’s diagnosis, the specific procedure being done, the patient’s physical condition, and the goals of the surgery and the prognosis. Like surgeons preparing for a difficult procedure, as divorce attorneys, we too must be prepared and armed with different … Read more
