The Family Mediation Blog: March 2020

"Marriage Story": A Valentine to Lawyers 

by Vicki L. Shemin, J.D., LICSW, ACSW 

Coming full circle, writer-director Noah Baumbach scores again in plumbing matters of the heart. 

Baumbach’s 2010 film “Greenberg” gave us the foretelling relational pretext, subtext and context in the unforgettable line, “Hurt people hurt people.”

“The Squid and the Whale” in 2005 unfolded the story of his parents’ divorce through the children’s perspective.

Now, in “Marriage Story,” we are bearing witness to Baumbach’s own divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, told from the perspective of the parents. In so doing, Baumbach hearkens clients to take heart, while inviting lawyers of every stripe to have a heart. 

So lawyers, take a note (an oft-repeated phrase in the film).…

Remote Mediation: a Viable Alternative During the COVID-19 Crisis

by Justin L. Kelsey, Vice President of MCFM

If you have a court hearing scheduled in the next few weeks, most likely you've been told it's postponed.  While some hearings will be scheduled telephonically and by video conference, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely causing significant delays in obtaining a hearing and an order or judgment.  This is understandable as the court and the bar figure out how to adjust to this crisis. (For updates on the Massachusetts court's current status check here.)  Regardless of how understandable these delays are, though, the experience for individuals going through conflict must be frustrating, disappointing, and in some cases devastating.

Now is the time to consider your alternatives to court.