Kathryn Fitzgerald
1010 E. Union St.,
Pasadena, California 91106
United States
Pasadena, California 91106
United States
Office Phone: 1-626)449-8433
Member since 2004
Membership Type: IACP
Profession(s)
Lawyer, MediatorCertified Family Law Specialist by State of California Board of Specialization, 1994
Area(s) of Practice: Collaborative Law, Family Law, Mediation
License(s): State of California Attorney and Counselor of Law
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~United States District Court, Central District of California
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~State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization Certified Specialist in Family Law
Professional Activities
In addition to my practicie of law, I volunteer as mandatory settlement judge for the Superior Court of Los Angeles in the North East (Pasadena) branch, ~I mediate for the Alternative Dispute Resolution family law project of the Los Angeles Superior Court. I act as a temporary judge in Los Angeles County family law court rooms.Undergraduate Education
University of CA, Santa Cruz - B.S. in Community Studies 1972-1976
Postgraduate Education
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles - J.D. in Law 1976-1979
Comments
I have more than 40 years experience in family law and have been trained as a professional mediator through the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles in conjunction with Pepperdine University Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution and the California Academy of Mediation Professionals. I have had extensive, ongoing, training in Collaborative Law. Besides the State Bar of California, I maintain memberships in 1) the International Association of Collaborative Professionals, 2) a local Pasadena, Glendale, San Gabriel Valley [California] group, 3) the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, 4) the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, 5) the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), 6) the Senior Lawyers of LACBA and 7) the Pasadena Bar Association. The problem that I found with traditional litigation was that it was not serving all of my client's needs. In fact, the process often aggravated the injury the divorcing person already felt. Collaborative law provides a more caring alternative to traditional litigation and can often save the client money. Most clients come in saying 'I don't want to hurt my spouse, I just want what is fair.' If the other side wants what is fair, the Collaborative process, properly done, is the best way to address and achieve what each wants. Another benefit our office can provide to our clients is the expertise my partner provides in other areas of law, primarily California Estate Planning and administration and the areas of Bankruptcy and Consumer Debtor Defense. Our goal is to cut out what one California court called: 'the financial and emotional costs of litigation.'