Sheryl-Anne Sastow

I’ve been where you are

My own terrible experience with divorce convinced me to pursue what is now the largest part of my law practice. Here’s what happened:

After getting an undergraduate degree in psychology, I worked in leasing and management for a commercial real estate developer. During the next couple of years, I got married, had children, and became a stay-at-home mom during the day. At night, I started law school, stopped and had another child, and then resumed going to law school.

Nowhere to turn

Unfortunately, my relationship with my husband deteriorated steadily. I realized that my marriage wasn’t going to last. I was angry, sad, worried, and miserable. But I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. So like many people in similar situations, I just stayed in the marriage.

The days turned into months. I wasn’t living any kind of life. I knew I didn’t want to remain miserable for the rest of my life. And I also knew that my young children deserved and needed to see their mother happy. Thinking there was no alternative, I did what most people did when they wanted a divorce: I hired a litigator.

It didn’t take long for litigation to take on an ugly life of its own. Our conflicts escalated. Costs quickly mounted. Communication between us shut down. The process dragged on, seemingly with no end in sight.

I knew there was a better way for everyone

While all of this was going on, I recognized that like myself, other people—men, women, and their children—were suffering needlessly. I realized that there had to be a way to divorce peacefully. That’s when I began my extensive training in Divorce Mediation and in Collaborative Divorce.

I’ve been working mostly as a divorce mediator and collaborative attorney for many years. I love my work. I especially enjoy being able to give couples a way to change the dynamic of their relationships: I help them communicate in a positive way. And I help them transition from angry and dysfunctional husbands and wives to cooperative mothers and fathers.

Yes, I’ve been where you are. For years. I was unhappily married, angry, frightened, and sad. Thanks in part to that experience, though, plus my extensive training and years of successful divorce mediation and collaborative practice, I can help ensure that you no longer have to be in the same terrifying place.