Richard Anthony Stebbins

Rick was the mediator in our family law dispute. He never took any basic steps to understand the case, particularly what was in the children's best interests. And he also appeared to make no effort to understand the parties in order to figure out how to best communicate with the involved individual...s so a break though could be made. Without such basic understandings, he was ill equipped to help the parties come to any realizations and understandings and therefore drive the parties toward agreement. Instead he let the discussion wander aimlessly for hours and hours on trivial, extraneous rather than big picture matters. He fed into personalities rather than managed them allowing the process to become unfocused, useless and a waste of time. Rick also made comments that sabotaged the mediation process rather than helped it--for example speculating on the odds of success at trial. The issue shouldn't be 'should I compromise because my odds of winning at trial are low', which was Rick's focus, but 'what is the best solution for the kids and how can we get there'? He simply either had no interest or no ability to understand the case and the individual parties and try to find a way to make a break through. Further, Rick is not a very good listener. He asks questions and then criticizes the response as if the responder was making comments out of turn almost seemingly forgetting that he had asked the question. Frankly, I'm astounded he is a mediator.

As stated above, Richard Stebbins knows family law and how to approach issues for the best possible outcome. I found him to be very honest with me regarding my requests and chances of success before a judge. It was clear that he had years of experience with family law, which can be tricky and n...ot clear cut. He made himself readily accessible during a family crisis and guided me with wisdom, a non-judgemental attitude and a firm knowledge of the law. He never promised quick fixes or guaranteed success but, rather, he was careful to be realistic about my chances of getting what I wanted and smart about his strategy to achieve a positive outcome. Family problems such as divorce, child custody, etc., are emotionally painful and can have life long consequences. Choosing the right lawyer is extremely important and I strongly encourage you to contact Mr. Stebbins.