Collaborators in Divorce Mediation

Janet Miller Wiseman
The Negotiation Collaborative
Divorce and Family Mediation

Collaboration between mediation professionals provides comprehensive financial, legal, co-parenting agreements. When clients know that their mediator has ready access to dialogue and referral to other members of The Negotiation Collaborative, they are reassured that complicated alternatives have been thoroughly examined and a solid result achieved. Janet Miller Wiseman has sought out some of the most experienced professionals to be her Collaborators.

You can read more about them below and visit their sites for additional information.

The Negotiation Collaborative Members:

Howard Goldstein, Esquire

James McCusker, CPA, CFP

Jeanne Kangas, Esquire

Chris Chen, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™

Howard I. Goldstein, Attorney

Howard I. Goldstein has practiced family law and civil litigation in Greater Boston since 1970 and since the late 1970s has been collaborating and consulting with Janet Miller Wiseman in her work with the Negotiation Collaborative. He is currently a partner in the Newton law firm of Rosenberg, Freedman and Goldstein. In addition to serving as a mediator, his work in family law includes coaching mediation clients, reviewing and preparing legal documents for mediation clients, contested divorce advocacy and trial work, and Collaborative Law.

Howard says this about his work:

"It is precisely because I have done so much work in contested divorce cases, that I believe so strongly in mediation. The courtroom should be a last resort for most divorcing couples. I am delighted and honored to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Janet Miller Wiseman, one of the true pioneers of mediation in New England."

Howard has been a frequent faculty member for continuing education programs for lawyers offered by the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, and the Boston Bar Association. He has also been an adjunct instructor at Northeastern University School of Law and University College of Northeastern University. He has taught a workshop entitled "Divorce Law for Mental Health Professionals" at Boston University School of Social Work, and Boston College School of Social Work and has worked as a trainer on Divorce Law subjects for a large multi-site Mental Health clinic in the Metro-West area.

Howard I. Goldstein
Rosenberg Freedman and Goldstein
246 Walnut St.
Newton, MA. 02460

Visit Howard I. Goldstein's website
Email Howard I. Goldstein

James McCusker, Certified Public Accountant,
Certified Financial Planner

Over the years James McCusker, CPA, CFP has worked with many divorce mediators and family law attorneys to help their clients with the many challenging financial questions that arise during and after divorce.

Questions that include:

•Should marital support be in the form of Alimony or Child Support?

•What marital assets are most appropriate to hold given your new financial situation?

•Should your marital residence be sold, and if so, when?

•Today your settlement looks equitable...
  Will it provide you with enough resources for the next 5, 10, or 20 years?
  Will it last your lifetime?

James McCusker, the principal and founder of James McCusker & Associates, has proven to be readily accessible to members of The Negotiation Collaborative for dialogue and referral. He has over 31 years of experience in financial services, 20 of them as a personal financial advisor. He is a Certified Financial Planner, Certified Public Accountant, and Registered Investment Advisor.

The professionals at James McCusker & Associates are uniquely qualified to help answer these questions. They can help ensure that your financial settlement is both equitable and appropriate for your specific needs.

James McCusker, CPA, CFP
11 Summer Street
Chelmsford, MA. 01824

McCuskerAssociates.com Divorce Accountant
Email James McCusker Associates

Jeanne S. Kangas, Esquire

Jeanne Kangas, Esquire is always ready to respond promptly and to address issues and questions from the subtle to the complex for members of The Negotiation Collaborative. Attorney Kangas sends clients to mediation, whenever possible, and coaches clients in mediation. When called upon she can prepare all of the documents necessary for parties to file in order to represent themselves in court for their uncontested divorce.

During the course of mediation, when a spouse feels the playing field is not even, or where a party is disabled by an overpowering spouse, she can advise and coach the party to help him or her to make prudent decisions.

Jeanne Kangas has 29 years of experience in all aspects of family law, including gay and lesbian issues. She has a well-founded knowledge of what parties can expect from the judges who decide contested issues from the temporary order stage to the final divorce—and judges are not always consistent. Jeanne can review the final draft mediated agreement, and render her opinion to the client. In cases where the existence, location or value of a marital asset is an issue, or where doubt exists regarding that aspect of your divorce, she and her firm have the resources to ascertain those assets and advise.

Jeanne S. Kangas, Esq.
ARNOLD & KANGAS., P.C.
At The Historic Damonmill
9 Damonmill Square-5th Floor
Concord, MA 01742

Visit Arnold & Kangas Website, Massachusetts Family Attorney
Email Arnold & Kangas

Chris Chen,
Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™

As a CDFA™, Chris specializes in analyzing and clarifying the difficult financial aspects of divorce. He helps clients, their attorneys and mediators, to objectively evaluate their financial options as a result of divorce. His mission is to empower clients to make sound financial decisions today and in the future for themselves and their families. Some of the issues that Chris addresses are:

• Will you be OK, not just after the divorce but for the rest of your life?

Divorce settlement analysis identifies the option that best addresses your current and long term financial needs. An oft overlooked question is: “will there be enough resources to last into your retirement”?

• Should I keep the marital home or should I sell it? 

Keeping or selling the marital home can have widely divergent consequences on your financial well being. A thorough analysis is performed to inform your decision to keep or sell and, if to sell, when.

• How much retirement assets are enough?

Inevitably a split in retirement assets will have consequences for your retirement. Chris will identify those issues, and ensure that you know what to do to reach your retirement goals.

• What percentage share of marital assets is fair and equitable for my circumstances?
   Am I getting the right assets?

There are many personal, financial, and tax issues that factor into answering this question.

• What is the real value of my husband's/wife's pension plan, incentive options,
    restricted stock, or interest in a private company? 

Chris ensures that you understand the value and drawbacks of each of these assets.

• I am divorced. How do I manage my financial future now?

Chris can help you implement the financial aspects of your divorce settlement. He can provide a customized plan and suggest personalized solutions to ensure that your long term financial needs before and after retirement are properly planned for.>

Chris' services are especially productive in cases where there are complicated financial issues or one of the parties has less financial experience than the other. He helps you make sure that you consider the financial realities of divorce before, not after the final papers are signed.

Chris is the principal Strategist at Divorce Finance Strategies. He has earned his Bachelor’s from the University of Rochester and his MBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. He has also attended executive training at the Wharton School. He is a member of the Association of Divorce Financial Planners, the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.

DivorceFinanceStrategies.com
Email Chris Chen
(781) 330- 0524

Referral and Collaboration with Janet Miller Wiseman

Janet Miller Wiseman, LICSW, Certified Divorce and Family Mediator, is able to respond almost immediately to her colleagues questions about:

• Talking with their clients' about how and when to talk to their children about
    separation and divorce given their ages and developmental stages

• Whether "Decision Making Mediation--Mediation Therapy" will help the divorce    mediator/lawyer's clients, who are not on the same page re. the divorce, come to
   an agreement on the highest level of mutual understanding possible. Hostility is eliminated
   or reduced and the clients shunted back to the referring mediator. John Fiske, divorce
   mediator, has referred hundreds of his divorce mediation clients for this decision making
   intervention for over 30 years.

• Whether her own or one of her colleague's evaluation, psychotherapy or coaching services    might  well move their client forward by grieving, getting past their hurt and anger, by
   dealing with mental health or co-parenting issues.

• Coaching her colleagues trained in litigation how to develop and hold a neutral
   stance, embracing the personalities and values of both of their clients.

Janet also refers her clients to respected review/advisory attorneys, Certified Divorce and Financial Analysts, CPA's, pension plan, real estate, business appraisers, and mental health experts.

Janet Miller Wiseman provides Mediation and Counseling Services in the Boston area. She is an accomplished Divorce Mediator, Family Mediator and Couples/Family Therapist. She has 39 years of experience as an individual/couple/family psychotherapist and 32 years of experience as a divorce mediator. Her office is located in Lexington, MA. and while she serves clients from all over Massachusetts, many of her clients are from Acton, Arlington, Burlington, Bedford, Concord, Gloucester, Framingham, Lincoln, Malden, Newton, Watertown, Wellesley, Winchester, Waltham, Woburn, Reading and Salem. Janet is also willing to travel to your location for training, presentations and workshops.