Steven Goldman
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
United States
Profession(s)
Lawyer, MediatorGrowing up as a child of divorced parents, I know how difficult the divorce process can be. I also know that sometimes it is necessary and even beneficial to families living in an uncomfortable environment.
Without exception, divorce is stressful and emotionally taxing. Litigation, which is often the first (and only) process most attorneys turn to for their clients, only exacerbates that stress. By pitting former spouses against one another, litigation practically demands that parties destroy any semblance of a familial relationship in order to “succeed” in court.
What most people fail to realize (until it is too late), is that this “success” does not satisfy any of their initial goals: 1) Most people want the divorce process to be quick, but litigation can take years; 2) Most people want the divorce process to be cheap, but litigation can costs tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars; 3) Most people want to guarantee the best possible result; but litigation leaves all decisions in the hands of a Judge, a stranger that cannot possibly understand what is best for you or your children’s future.
Collaborative Law provides parties with the ability to take control over their lives and determine the outcome of their individual case. By collaborating and cooperating with one another, parties are able to settle their disputes in a manner that they believe is beneficial for each member of the family; not only their own. Collaborative Law also provides a forum to brainstorm and be creative in crafting settlements that could not possibly be achieved through the limited authority of the court.
Professional Activities
Member, Virginia State Bar Association Member, Fairfax Bar Association (Family Law Section; Young Lawyers Section) Mentor, Fairfax Bar Association Devonshire Mentorship Program Member, District of Columbia Bar Association Member, New York State Bar Association Member, American Bar AssociationUndergraduate Education
Binghamton University (SUNY Binghamton), B.S. Business Management (2005)
Postgraduate Education
Albany Law School, J.D. (2008)
Comments
When I graduated law school, I wanted to litigate because it was fun and exciting. It appealed to my competitive nature. However, I quickly realized that while “winning” provided me with personal satisfaction, it was not always in the client’s best interest. Even when a client went home ecstatic about a Judge’s decision in his or her favor, that client was still left with the destructive aftermath caused by litigation: two spiteful parents that cannot communicate effectively; tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have gone towards a child’s college education, gone because it was spent on attorneys; lost relationships with close friends and in-laws. The list goes on. Even when litigating, I found that my best results were often obtained negotiating a settlement – not because my client received everything that he or she wanted, but because the parties worked together to resolve the issues in a way that each felt was best for the family. It is only then that I started to become truly satisfied with the results I was achieving. Collaborative Law allows me to take this method of practice to another level. It provides a forum for the parties to be open with one another and be considerate of the other person’s interests. It also allows the attorneys to work together and be creative in crafting the best possible settlement. When all is said and done, my goal in every case is for the parties to resolve their issues civilly and professionally, and for them to do so in a way that promotes a positive relationship for the future. Collaborative Law is a perfect tool for achieving that result.