Adoption
Whether you are adopting your own child in order to protect your parental relationship or exploring traditional adoption as a way to become a parent, we can help you through the process. Attorney Kauffman is a member of the American Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and has over twenty years of experience in co-parent adoption; stepparent adoption; adult adoption; three-parent adoption; and traditional adoption.
Assisted Reproductive Technology
For many individuals and couples, the route to parentage is through the use of reproductive technology such as donor insemination, gestational surrogacy, egg donation or reciprocal in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is a relatively new and evolving area of law. It is essential to ensure that legal parentage is established for the intended parents through contracts and the establishment of parentage through the court.
Conciliation
Conciliation is a type of alternative dispute resolution, especially for those who have reached an impasse and wish to avoid expensive litigation. As a conciliator, Attorney Kauffman will meet with each of the disputing parties and work with them towards a resolution. A conciliator is an active, though impartial, participant in the resolution process (unlike a neutral mediator) and will evaluate each party’s position, offer potential settlement terms, and provide guidance to assist the parties in reaching agreement.
Family Law Consultation/Coaching
Ending relationships is difficult not only emotionally, but also legally and financially. It’s helpful to get legal advice and gather information so you are well-informed as you traverse the legal or mediation process. As an attorney with over twenty-five years of experience in divorce work, Attorney Kauffman can help you get clarity about your goals, gain a realistic perspective on what is possible, and develop a strategy for achieving the result you want.
Mediation
Unlike conciliation, mediation is a confidential alternative dispute resolution process in which the mediator is a neutral facilitator of discussions between the parties as they work towards a voluntary agreement. The parties are in control of this process, and it is the parties who determine the final outcome. Since the process is entirely voluntary, a party may end the mediation if she does not believe it is productive. As a mediator, Attorney Kauffman provides information but not legal advice to the parties and the focus remains on coming to an agreement that works best for your particular situation.