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Laurie Israel

P.O. Box 73
Plainfield, Massachusetts 01070
United States
Office Phone: 617-719-8312
http://www.laurieisrael.com
laurie@laurieisrael.com
Member since 2004
Membership Type: IACP

Profession(s)

Lawyer, Civil Practitioner, Mediator

I am an attorney, consultant, and mediator, concentrating my practice on prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. I work as a consultant and mediator nationwide. I previously practiced for 35 years in the areas of tax law, divorce, collaborative law, estate planning, probate of estates and trust administration, as well as mediation and, in Massachusetts, providing counsel for couples entering into prenuptial agreements. I am one of the initial practitioners and developers of the field of marital mediation, the practice of using mediation to help couples solve marital problems and improve their marriages. I am a former board member of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation and the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council. My writings include articles on divorce, mediation, marital mediation, and prenuptial agreements. You can find myarticles on www.ivkdlaw.com, Huffington Post, and Mediate.com. I am the author of the book “The Generous Prenup: How to Support Your Marriage and Avoid the Pitfalls,” available on Amazon. I am frequently called upon by attorneys and mediators to share her expertise, through giving both formal and informal presentations, on the subject of prenuptial agreements all across the country.
Area(s) of Practice: I am a mediator, lawyer (in Mass only) and consultant nationwide in the field of prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements. I have written extensively on the topic, including writing a book, "The Generous Prenup: How to Support Your Marriage and Avoid the Pitfalls," available on Amazon. ,
License(s): Massachusetts District Court of Massachusetts First Circuit Appeals Court Supreme Court of the United States

Professional Activities

Former Board Member, Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council; Former Board Member, Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation.

Undergraduate Education

Barnard College A.B. 1967

Postgraduate Education

University of California M.A. 1969

Professional Education

The Dickinson School of Law J.D. 1987 Magna cum laude.

Comments

Being a Collaborative Lawyer for 22 years has informed my work in mediating, negotiating, and consulting for people who are entering into prenuptial agreements. I found it personally satisfying to practice collaborative divorce law. Divorce Law is a prime candidate for the collaborative law process, because the law (case law, statutes, experience with judges' rulings learned directly from cases and anecdotedly from other practitioners' experiences) makes the outcome (or the range of outcomes) on almost all issues quite clear and predeterminable. I liked using Collaborative Law because it entails a robust communication of thoughts and interests between the parties, with assistance from their counsel both in ideas and in resolution techniques. All facts and arguments are exposed, discussed, and evaluated. In difficult cases, the presence of a neutral mental health professional process coach can be very helpful. Each party has an advocate to level the playing field, so that an extremely free and fair interchange can occur. Often collaborative cases are very complex, fraught with emotions, and deal with issues at the end of a very long-term marriage. This is a wonderful use of collaborative practice and provides lasting benefits to the divorcing couple that other methods cannot.