Skip to main content

An Abundantly Awesome Announcement about Jennifer Hawthorne

By

Alliteration aside, we have a lot of exciting news to share about Jennifer Hawthorne's role at Skylark Law & Mediation, PC and her contributions to the field of dispute resolution.  

Since August 2016, Jen has been working with Skylark as a mediator and collaborative divorce professional.  Her role grew from an of counsel position to full time associate, and in 2022 Jen became a partner at Skylark.  Jen's skills as a mediator and her ability to lighten even the toughest conversations have elevated the work at Skylark.  Her laugh and the laughter of her clients still carries throughout the office when she has in person meetings.

For the last year Jen has been overseeing Skylark's student interns from New England law, providing opportunities for future attorneys to truly understand what it means to be a well-rounded dispute resolution professional.  She intends to continue this mentorship and find ways in the future to expand on the opportunities available for potential and new mediators with Skylark. 

Jen's contributions to Skylark are only one part of the story, though.  As with anything she does, Jen has committed herself jumping in with both feet in to the field of dispute resolution.  Jen is on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation (MCFM), the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM), and the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council (MCLC).  Her work at those organization has led her to rise to being the Vice President of both APFM and MCLC at the same time, and she continues to devote herself to the success of those organizations and their members.

In Jen's own words (in an interview for APFM), she often thinks of herself as a mediator first, and an attorney second: 

I believe it is fundamental that folks remain in control of their family to the largest extent possible, and that becoming good co-parents means learning how to break the negative patterns of communication that can often exist at the end of a marriage. I focus my practice on helping my clients see the possibility of a very livable path for themselves and their children after divorce, and empower them to make decisions consistent with that path.

You can hear more about Jen's approach to mediation and collaborative law directly from a podcast she and Patrice Brymner (the past president of MCLC) host together called Mending Fences.  

On that podcast they have discussed some of the basics of mediation and collaborative law, like what to know before you get started.  They've also explored deeper dives into more complicated issues, often bringing in distinguished guests to discuss topics like dignity in co-parenting and conflict, internal family systems and ADHD and conflict.  

You can support Jen and Patrice in this work by subscribing to their podcast on whatever platform you use (they're all linked here), and stay tuned to hear more about what Jen will be doing next.  Whether it's planning the MCLC educational Roundtable, volunteering at her daughter's next play, or helping a client get through a tough week; whatever it is, we know for sure she will give it her all and it will be amazing!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2024 U.S. Presidential Party Platforms - What are the policy positions that could affect families?

By
While the laws that affect family formation, marriage and divorce are often made at the state level, there are also many policies and laws at the federal level that affect families and children.  Just some examples from recent years that have impacted families in my mediation practice include changes to the federal tax laws (such as  the elimination of the alimony tax deduction ) and U.S. Supreme Court rulings on same sex marriage and reproductive health rights.  In just over a month, the United States presidential election will have a significant impact on these federal policies going forward, and could choose the next appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court as well. In 2016 and 2020 we shared what each presidential platform said about families and policy regarding family formation and dissolution, and below we'll provide you an update on the 2024 presidential platforms.  As Maya Angelou said, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."...
1 comment
Read more

Updating your Divorce Agreement Template - More Lessons from Cavanagh v. Cavanagh

By
We recently posted a lengthy review of the the Massachusetts SJC decision in Cavanagh v. Cavanagh (2002)  which included some recommendations for drafting divorce agreements, also typically called Separation Agreements.  The Cavanagh case is best known for it's clarification of how the courts should evaluate support calculations when a case may have both alimony and child support.  However, the case also contained numerous rulings that should make practitioners review their Separation Agreement templates and change some of the ways in which they may have previously drafted certain sections. In this post we'll share actual language from the Gray Jay Endeavors, LLC form Separation Agreement template which addresses each of the issues raised by the Cavanagh decision.  If you are a professional interested in purchasing the full Separation Agreement template, check out Gray Jay's  forms subscription which includes editable Massachusetts court forms and financial st...
Post a Comment
Read more

Massachusetts Family Court Financial Statement - Instructions & Best Practices

By
During a divorce, or other case in the Massachusetts Probate & Family Court that involves your finances, such as a child support case, you will likely be required to file a court form Financial Statement.  In Massachusetts there are two versions of this form: a "short form" if your income is under $75,000 and a "long form" if your income is $75,000 or more.  Many people find these forms confusing and we've compiled a list of helpful information for filling them out. First , to access the forms, the court has provided pdf or online versions here: Massachusetts Rule 401 Short Form Financial Statement (pdf) Massachusetts Rule 401 Long Form Financial Statement (pdf) There are also some basic instructions provided by the court explaining the sections of the forms and providing access to a Schedule A (for self-employed people) and Schedule B (for rental income): Massachusetts Rule 401 Short Form Financial Statement Basic Instructions Massachusetts Rule 401 Long F...
Post a Comment
Read more