About Me

Having experienced the challenges of divorce myself, I understand many of the issues my clients are facing. My goal in practicing family law has always been to bring warmth and caring to this process so that clients feel they have someone to turn to when faced with confusing family law forms and the enormity of the emotions encountered on the path to separation. When children are involved, I am committed to helping the separating parents understand how separation may impact their children’s lives and educating them on ways to make the transition healthier for their children. I also strongly believe that the process of mediation and other collaborative approaches can play a significant role in minimizing the damage from the divorce process and creating an effective communication model that parties can use to resolve future conflicts. 


Member of: the Family Law Section of the State Bar of California, the Family Law Section of the Contra Costa County Bar Association (and ADR Section Board Member), Family Law Section of the Alameda Bar Association, the Collaborative Practice East Bay (Member of Steering Committee), Collaborative Practice California (CP Cal), and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. 
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I earned my BA in Economics from UCLA and my JD from the King Hall School of Law at UC Davis. In addition to my formal education, I studied mediation for years with both the Bay Area Non-violent Communication Center in Oakland and the Center for Understanding in Conflict in Marin. I continue to study conflict resolution with Gary Friedman, Norman Fischer, and other conflict professionals at the Center for Understanding In Conflict in Marin. I have been a guest lecturer at UC Davis Law School in family law mediation and have enjoyed teaching other lawyers communication techniques as a presenter for CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar).

​I currently live in an empty nest in Oakland. I enjoy playing tennis, golfing, hiking, and reading books with real covers.