Family Law Mediator / Divorce Coach
It began with a divorce – my own. After a nearly twenty-one-year marriage and three children (two of whom were minors at the time), my first husband and I decided to end our marriage. We were lucky, we respected each other and put our children first and were able to move forward with our Dissolution of Marriage in a positive, cooperative, and mindful way. We still work together to this day, to ensure the strength of our family, even though our children are all now adults and we are both remarried to wonderful people.
Speaking of my second husband, his divorce was the polar opposite. I met him while he was in the middle of a highly contentious divorce that lasted eighteen months, cost tens of thousands of dollars, and cost even more in emotional distress to him and his children. Cue my introduction to Sharon O’Day, Esq. Sharon and I were acquaintances, our children were, and still are, very good friends. Sharon became my good friend and was instrumental in guiding my now husband through the mess that was his divorce. In 2020, when Covid hit, she needed an assistant and I was so excited to be able to help her and to work in family law, which had become a passion of mine.
Since joining O’Day Resolutions, I have worked with countless couples assisting them through the divorce and paternity process. I have been a certified Florida Supreme Court Family Mediator since 2020 and I specialize in working with pro se clients who are looking to move forward with dispute resolution in a cooperative manner. As Sharon’s assistant, I am the first voice that people hear when they reach out to our office. I answer questions, listen to our clients, and attempt to help make this very difficult process just a little bit easier. As a divorce coach, my job is to help my clients better address the stresses of divorce. I will listen, be present, offer suggestions, and provide as much information as possible about the process as I can without providing legal advice. I work with clients to develop effective negotiation strategies and can help each client develop correspondence to efficiently communicate with their attorney or the other party. Sometimes, I might just be a sounding board to process the conflict in divorce situations.
As a Co-Parenting Coach, I work with either one or both parents to develop and implement an effective parenting plan. And as the children age, the plan may need to be modified and I work with the family to address the changing needs of the children.
And now, shifting from mediation to meditation, I have worked in the health and wellness field for over three decades. I have been teaching yoga for about thirteen years and still practice and teach almost daily. My practice includes flow yoga, meditation, and breathwork, which I also am apt to use with my coaching clients.
I grew up in sunny Sarasota and am a graduate of Pine View School. I received my Bachelor of Science degree from Tufts University with a major in Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Kinesiology from The University of Michigan.
Before coming back to live in Sarasota in 2002, I lived in Boston, Ann Arbor, New York City, Summit, NJ and Perth, Australia. I have traveled extensively and I credit these experiences in other cities and countries with expanding my mind and my appreciation for other cultures and ideas.
I am a wife, mother of three adult children, stepmother to three young men, and dog mom to two lovely pups.