Robert Merlin

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Firm Value Statement:  Robert J. Merlin, P.A. is dedicated to helping our clients resolve their family matters as amicably and as expeditiously as possible.  Our practice is limited to non-adversarial methods of resolving family matters, such as the Collaborative Process, mediation and direct negotiations and we also prepare Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements.  Our goal is for our clients to be in a better position after we have represented them than they were when they first contacted us.

Languages: English

Education and Degrees

  • University of Florida (B.S., 1976);
  • Mercer University School of Law;
  • Cambridge University & The Institute of Law – Polish Academy of Science (1978);
  • University of Florida (J.D., with honors, 1978)

Professional Licenses   

  • The Florida Bar – Member since 1979

Other Professional Organizations           

  • Florida Bar Board Certified in Marital and Family Law – 1994 – Present
  • The Florida Bar, Family Law Section: Legislation Committee (2011-13), ADR Committee, Chair (2010-2014);
  • Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Court Mediator – 2011 – Present
  • International Academy of Collaborative Professionals – Treasurer and qualified Collaborative Trainer
  • Collaborative Family Law Institute – President (2008 -2013)
  • Collaborative Family Law Professionals of South Florida – Member
  • South Palm Beach County Collaborative Law Group – Member
  • Next Generation Divorce – Honorary Member
  • Florida Bar Family Law Rules – Former Chair
  • Dade County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association; Family Law Section and Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee
  • American Bar Association Foundation Fellow

David B. Mitchell

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Firm Value Statement:  I take a practical, yet compassionate approach to each of my clients. I understand that you are facing difficult emotions and concerns. I am dedicated to helping you sift through your issues and develop a commonsense plan to provide you with a sustainable future. I have worked with a large number of families throughout the years and recognize that relationships are complex.  My commitment to developing strong relationships and offering personalized attention has always remained my highest priority.  There is no one-size-fits-all approach to divorce and other family law cases that works for everyone. In a Collaborative Divorce, I will work with the team to help the parties reach a conclusion that supports their best interests.

Languages: English

Education and Degrees:

  • Juris Doctorate,   Stetson University, 1978
  • B.A., University of Miami,   1973
  • University of Oxford (UK), Advanced Undergraduate Diploma (w/Honors), 2012

Professional Licenses

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
  • Qualified Parenting Coordinator
  • Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator (1991)
  • Florida Supreme Court – Qualified Arbitrator
  • Coral Gables Bar Association (past president)
  • Member, Family Law Section, The Florida Bar
  • Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, The Florida Bar
  • Member, National Association of Divorce Professionals

Other Professional Organizations           

  • Member, American Inns of Court
  • Member,  Collaborative Family Law Institute
  • Member, Florida  International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
  • Member, Florida Academy of Professional Mediators
  • Member, Dade County Bar Association
  • Member, Coral  Gables Bar

Evan Marks

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Evan Marks is an FACP Accredited Collaborative Professional and currently serves as a Board Member of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Mr. Marks is the recipient of the Chair’s Visionary Award.

Firm Value Statement:  “We put the ‘family’ back in family law,” and as attorneys with many years of litigation experience, Marks & West believes that the collaborative process is a significant development toward reducing the high emotional and financial cost of divorce.

Education and Degrees

  • 1978 Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Miami
  • 1981 Law Degree from the University of Miami School of Law

Professional Licenses   

  • Member in good standing of the Florida Bar since 1981
  • Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Marital and Family Law since 1995
  • Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals Accredited Collaborative Family Law Attorney
  • Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator

Other Professional Organizations           

  • AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Past President of the Collaborative Family Law Institute
  • Former President of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar
  • Former Member of the Commission on Responsible Fatherhood
  • Former President of the First Family Law American Inns of Court
  • Former President of the North Dade Bar Association

Luisa Marques dos Santos

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Firm Value: I have undergone specialized training to represent parties in a collaborative process, as an alternative to litigation, which process involves non-adversarial collaboration between the parties and specific professionals (financial and psychological consultants) in order to arrive at a negotiated resolution without the emotional and financial toll of protracted litigation.

Languages:  Portuguese, English

Education and Degrees

  • Juris Doctorate, University of Miami
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Temple University

Professional Licenses

  • Member, Florida Bar

Other Professional Licenses

  • Member, Family Law Section, The Florida Bar
  • Member, Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida
  • Member, Dade County Bar Association
  • First Family Law American Inn of Court
  • Member, Florida Association of Criminal Deference Lawyers

Carolann Mazza

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Firm Value Statement:  I practice non-litigation family law by using consensual dispute resolution methods such as Collaborative Law and Mediation to help families resolve their conflicts.

Education and Degrees

  • Degrees  University of Florida, BSBA in Finance
  •  South Texas College of Law, JD

Professional Licenses   

  • Juris Doctor, Florida and Texas

Other Professional Organizations           

  • Collaborative Family Law Professionals of South Florida
  •    South Palm Beach County Collaborative Law Group

Milagros Millie Laguna

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Languages:  English, Spanish

Education and Degrees        

  • University of Florida, Levin College of Law, J.D.
  • John Jay College of Criminal Justice, NYC

Professional Licenses

  • Juris Doctor, UF
  • Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator
  • Qualified Arbitrator

Other Professional Organizations   

  • Dade County Bar Association
  • Member of the Florida Bar Sections: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Business Law, Family Law, General Practice Solo and Small Firm

Allison Hockman

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Firm Value Statement:  My Firm is committed to the non-court resolution of family disputes, and assisting couples to end their marriage without court intervention.  I am a trained Collaborative Family Lawyer and a Certified Supreme Court Family Mediator.  As an Appellate practitioner for over 20 years, I have seen the positive outcomes from the Collaborative Divorce Process, and truly believe in its method.

The Collaborative Divorce Process encompasses the legal, the financial and the emotional aspects of ending a marriage (partnership) estate.  While each party has an attorney to represent him /her, the parties’ participation in the resolution of their dispute is welcomed and respected.  The children issues applicable to the family are also addressed during the process.  Collaboratively trained financial professionals and mental health facilitators are members of the collaborative team.  My staff and other members of the Firm are also dedicated to the collaborative method. The collaborative divorce emphasizes personal privacy from the public and is a confidential process.  It helps to preserve family relationships while settling a family dispute with dignity and mutual respect.

I became a Certified Supreme Court Mediator in 2000.  Three years later, I became a Collaborative Family lawyer.  Since that time, I have attended and participated in the Collaborative Trainings both locally and nationally, and am a member of the IACP.  Now more than ever, I am convinced that the Collaborative process is the healthiest way in which to resolve a family dispute.

Education and Degrees

  • Collaborative Family Lawyer, basic training November 2003.
  • Intermediate Collaborative Law Trainings 2004, 2006-present.
  • IACP, Member
  • Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Court Mediator.                November 2000-present.
  • University of Miami, School of Law, Coral Gables, Florida.  Admitted to the Florida Bar, December 1980.  Admitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, March 1981.
  • University of Florida, School of Education, Gainesville, Florida.  – Master of Mathematics Education.  March 1974.
  • University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.  Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.  December 1972.

Other Professional Organizations           

  • Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Miami Dade Chapter President  1993-94.
  • Coral Gables Bar Association, President 1997-98.
  • State of Florida appointed Commissioner on the Status of Women, 1998-2007.
  • Former Member of the Florida Bar Family Law Rules Committee, Appellate Law Rules Committee and the Committee for the Celebration of the 1st 150 Women Lawyers.
  • Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.,  former Board Member
  • CHARLEE of Dade County, Inc., former Board Member
  • Gablestage, Inc., Board Member
  • The Collaborative Family Law Institute,  Board Member
  • University of Miami CancerLink,  Member
  • Kidside, Inc., Member
  • Temple Judea of Coral Gables , Member

Ronald Kauffman

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Firm Value Statement:  Because of the increasing complexity of family law, and the pace at which it changes, cases should only be handled by specialists. Ron is a board certified specialist. Divorce is emotional and should not be resolved in a courtroom battle. Ron believes all couples, even those with serious differences, can resolve their dispute through the collaborative process.

Education and Degrees:

  • J.D., Whittier College, 1991
  • B.A., Boston University, 1988

Professional Licenses   

  • Member, Florida Bar , 1993
  • Member, California Bar, 1992
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit

Other Professional Organizations           

  • Member, California Bar, Family Law Section
  • Member, Florida Bar, Family Law Section, Executive Council for the term expiring 2019, Publications Committee, CLE Committee and Membership Committee
  • Board of Directors and Treasurer, First Family Law Inns of Court
  • Commentator Chair, Florida Bar, Family Law Section

Susan Keyes

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Firm Value Statement:  My firm is dedicated to helping couples and individual clients resolve family matters in a manner that minimizes acrimony and expense.   I limit my practice to non-adversarial and solution based methods of resolution such as Pro-se, Pre-suit mediation, Mediation and Collaborative Process.

Education and Degrees

  • Tulane University (B.A. 1985);
  • George Washington University School of Law  (J.D. 1988)

Professional Licenses                   

  • The New York Bar-1988
  • The Florida Bar- Member since 1994

Other Professional Organizations           

  • Co- President Collaborative Family Law Institute
  • Certified Family Law Mediator
  • Eleventh Judicial Circuit Parenting Coordinator
  • Florida Bar Family Law Section

Rhonda Goodman

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Firm Value Statement:  I am admitted to practice law in Florida and practice exclusively in the area of Family Law, Collaborative Family Law, and Family Mediation.  I am available to meet throughout South Florida.

My firm is a client attentive firm, providing clear and individualized alternatives.  My priority is the client.  My guiding principle is that every case is unique and personal attention to each client is key.  This is the reason I believe that the collaborative method for family dispute resolution is an excellent alternative to full scale adversarial litigation.  I believe that family cases are better served by a process that provides a non-adversarial, flexible environment for negotiating alternatives, a process that endeavors to preserve rather than destroy family relationships, and works to facilitate creative resolution.

I look forward to helping you resolve all your family law matters including, but not limited to, divorce, partnership agreements, children issues such as timesharing and parenting, pre and post nuptial agreements, and any other family law related matters.  A streamlined collaborative package is available including a limited number of meetings with clearly defined agendas to keep the process as efficient as possible.

My extensive international experience in public administration and non-governmental organizations with an emphasis on family enables me to understand the true value of negotiating agreements and the importance and future of the collaborative law process specifically, and alternative dispute resolution generally in the practice of law.

Languages: English, Hebrew

Education and Degrees        

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.  – social sciences)
  • Masters of Arts (M.A.  – political science and public administration)
  • Juris Doctor (J.D. – law degree)

Professional Licenses           

  • Florida Bar – 64286
  • Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator

Other Professional Organizations   

  • Collaborative Family Law Institute (board member)
  • Family Law Section of the Florida Bar
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Florida Bar
  • Dade County Bar Association