Barbara K. Stark, Attorney at Law

Principal, Divorce Resolution Resources - Divorce Mediation and Education Services

Author, Friendly Divorce Guidebook for Connecticut

I've formed Divorce Resolution Resources - Mediation and Education Services to provide clients and professional colleagues throughout Connecticut with an opportunity for collaborative resolution of conflicts related to divorce. Our services include:

• mediation and education
• financial information and divorce financial planning

With over 14,000 divorces occurring each year in Connecticut affecting the lives of the marriage partners, their families and their children, Divorce Resolution Resources can offer more creative, collaborative options for families both during and after divorce. After more than 20 years in the legal profession, I believe mediation and collaboration can offer equitable and confidential resolutions with the potential to limit costs, conflict, and adversarial confrontations.

I hope you'll email me with any comments or questions at bstark@ctmediate.com

Barbara K. Stark

MEDIATION AND COLLABORATION
Mediation and collaboration present the opportunity to resolve conflicts successfully without hostile and potentially destructive courtroom confrontations.

Mediation and collaboration offer:

• structured non-adversarial processes that provide alternative approaches to the standard litigated divorce
• facilitated negotiation that assists clients in reaching a reasonable settlement of differences
• the opportunity for both parties to achieve collaborative solutions based on communication and compromise
• privacy and confidentiality for the family issues involved in the dissolution of the marriage partnership
• a system for achieving and maintaining agreements regarding:
  • parenting and visitation
  • custody and child support
  • division of property, assets, and liabilities
  • spousal support and alimony

THE ROLE OF THE MEDIATOR
Throughout the mediation process, the mediator plays the role of a neutral, unbiased party advancing the process by facilitating communications and gathering information. The mediator assists the divorcing partners and their advisors or professional counselors to analyze data and generated options leading to a mutually beneficial agreement. This client-centered approach to divorce encourages collaborative exploration of the present and future needs of all parties involved and negotiation of the issues interfering with agreement. Mediation can be less costly as well as less contentious and time-consuming than a conventional litigated divorce.

THE DESIRED OUTCOMES OF MEDIATION
Throughout mediation, decision-making authority remains with the divorcing parties, so the agreement achieved is tailored to their present and future needs. As a result, studies reveal that 90 percent of mediations reach a negotiated agreement with less emotional and financial strain. Client involvement creates a greater commitment to abiding by the terms of the agreement.
Divorce Resolution Resources is a comprehensive resource for divorcing couples and individuals interested in creating an equitable agreement that can be submitted to the court as the basis of a final judgment dissolving the marriage. Through the integrated services of Divorce Resolution Resources, legal, financial, and emotional issues can be addressed in a collaborative fashion to reach an agreement that will form a solid foundation for the future.

LEGAL EXPERTISE
Attorney mediators, familiar with family law, child support guidelines, and taxation, act as impartial negotiators, assisting both parties in arriving at a negotiated settlement and in filing the forms required to finalize the divorce. Individuals can consult with Barbara Kahn Stark for specific advice and representation in the collaborative divorce process.

FINANCIAL EXPERTISE
Expert divorce financial planning assistance, supported by computer-based programs, can clarify the economic consequences of financial settlements. Charts, graphs, and clear explanations demonstrate the outcome of decisions supporting an equitable distribution of assets. Barbara Kahn Stark is a certified divorce planner and is a nationally known speaker on divorce-related finances and planning.

A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
Other experts, legal, financial, and mental health professionals, can come together within the collaborative setting provided by Divorce Resolution Resources to address the full range of needs of all parties involved. Divorce support groups are also part of the services offered in the offices of Divorce Resolution Resources.

BIOGRAPHY OF BARBARA KAHN STARK
Barbara Kahn Stark, principal of Divorce Resolution Resources, is a graduate of the University of Maryland (B.A.) and the University of Denver (M.L.A. and J.D.). She has been a divorce attorney and mediator of over 30 years. Past president of the Connecticut Council for Divorce Mediation and a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, she has offices in New Haven and Norwalk where she practices divorce mediation and collaborative divorce.

Barbara's latest work, The Friendly Divorce Guidebook for Connecticut published by CBA's Lawfirst Publishing, New Britain, Connecticut. The book has received favorable reviews and praise from professional colleagues and legal experts for its humane approach and clear explanations of the process of divorce within a complex legal system.

In 1996, Barbara Kahn Stark was awarded the Chairman's Cup by the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association for meritorious service which included serving as a founding member of the Family Law Advocacy Institute and Chair of the publication's Development Board. She has been an adjunct faculty member and visiting lecturer at Quinnipiac College School of Law and the University of Houston Law School, and a visiting lecturer at Yale University.

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