Brigitte Schmidt Bell

Divorce is difficult, even when using a collaborative approach, as strong emotions and tension still exist. Brigitte helped me navigate the waters, she advocated for me, and she is extremely experienced. She is friendly and cared about helping me achieve my goals. Clients need to realize that every i...nteraction is billable and expenses can escalate very quickly - be sure to manage this actively.

Brigitte was fair, firm, and friendly, exactly what a couple navigating divorce needs! She brought shape, logic and organization to an otherwise messy process. Thank you, Brigitte! Prospective clients should prepare to form a united front if, due to Brigitte's and the couple's progress, one/both of t...he individual divorce attorneys tries to derail the mediation process because it's going too smoothly and they want to make more money off of you. Happened to me.

Brigitte was a calm, thoughtful, helpful advocate for me through a very long, trying divorce. She listened to my story (and my updates throughout) and helped me think through my options. My goal was to stay on the high road (which is why I chose her, as an experienced collaborator), and she reminded... me of that goal when my emotions got the better of me. She has a good team and works with their strengths; Erin was particularly helpful, especially with the financial details. My favorite of Brigitte's strengths is her incredible command of the language, particularly her ability to write perfectly on-point, clear communications. I will admit, there were times in the process when I wished I had chosen an aggressive bulldog, because my ex chose a litigator, but Brigitte was true to her word. She proved her ability to work with all types of attorneys and stayed calm (and witty!) even when faced with an aggressive ego. The end result was a fair and reasonable settlement. I am able to look at myself in the mirror, having stayed on the high road with Brigitte (and Erin) helping me through the process.

Years ago, my ex-husband and I came to Brigitte to begin the divorce process and plan for co-parenting our then-two-year-old child. Brigitte's guidance was caring and clear; she gave us very specific guidelines for each step of the process. That was five years ago, and we have a happy, well-adjusted ...child with two wonderful homes. Communication between the homes is great (this has been a process, but is strong nonetheless), and friends, family members, teachers and others regularly compliment our family's ability to work together positively and productively, keeping our child's best interests as the focus. I do not think we would be where we are without Brigitte's guidance from the beginning; she laid the foundation for a positive co-parenting system. Her caring and professional expertise will positively impact our child and family for many generations to come.