David Ethan Sutton

My wife and I were referred to David Sutton by our couples counselor. Apparently, the counselor has sent dozens of couples to David and almost all of them have reported great success in resolving their divorces with David's help. Our counselor was aware of the fact that our attorneys were fighting s...o much that my wife and I were starting to have conflicts over issues we did not even care about until the attorneys starting stirring the pot. We saw our children starting to suffer from our tension and the way we treated each other. So, we went to see David. David was a good listener and heard each of our points of view and our concerns. David is not very shy and he did not hesitate to speak up when he felt like he had something to say that could help us. In fact, we were both impressed with how much David shifted our communication to a more positive place with one crazy astute observation that he shared with us. What had been a huge conflict for my wife and I, and one that the attorneys had made worse, David made disappear into thin air simply by helping us analyze the challenge from a different perspective. It may sound a bit flaky, but David seemed to have a vision, and see things, that we did not see and by sharing his thoughts, and encouraging us to think differently about the issues and consider what was really at stake for our family, he helped my wife and I reach a global settlement and regain the trust and respect that we had for each other before we starting the legal divorce process.

We were recommended to David Sutton by our couples counselor, with whom we had worked for several years, as well as our attorneys, and even a couple of friends. It seems like David has mediated the divorce for a bunch of people in Marin and SF as I frequently hear his name from people when I ask them... about their divorce. Everyone I have talked to seems to say, more or less, similar things, and those things reflect our experience with David. David is kind but firm, and although he will give you the opportunity to express your feelings and get your emotional thoughts out on the table, he makes it clear that he is not doing couples counseling but that he wants to make sure everyone feels heard and that any destructive, but un-discussed, conflicts are addressed so that, when he is finished working with you, you are more likely to get along as co-parents. It only took us three sessions to negotiate all of the issues in our divorce and, although it was not fun, David kept us focused on the task, did not waste our time and money, and even made us laugh a bit. I have to say, after what my ex-wife and I had been through before we met David, it was actually pretty nice to laugh with her again and remember that we have a lot in common and that we don't have to be hostile toward one another. David was very skilled in explaining the law to us and in negotiating a comprehensive settlement and, I have to say, I don't know where we would have been without his thoughtful advice.

David Sutton was our divorce mediator during a very difficult and painful time. He immediately calmed my wife and I down and and provided us with a safe structure in which to discuss our custody and financial issues and come up with fair resolutions. I did not always like what David had to say becaus...e, to be truthful, sometimes what I wanted was not what was best for our family. However, David called a spade a spade with both of us and his willingness to be direct allowed my wife and I to know that we would hear the truth from a neutral place that was intended to help our WHOLE family. David is very smart and creative and is able to craft settlements that our own divorce attorneys told us would not be available if we had fought our case in court litigation. I have many friends and fellow church members who have used David to mediate their divorces and they all say, more or less, the same thing. David is skilled, straightforward and creative in a way that can save a lot of time and conflict.

Divorce is not an easy or pleasant process and I am sorry to see some people take their pain out on their mediator. David Sutton mediated my divorce after 12 years of marriage. He was professional, thorough and insightful. He helped us solve problems that would have otherwise resulted in an impas...se. David is extremely knowledgeable and very direct when communicating and making recommendations. We met with David to get the facts on the table, hash out each of our concerns and priorities and most notably reach an amicable and fair custody agreement for our two young children. The entire process went much smoother than I ever imagined it could have. I have recommended David to several friends and colleagues who have needed his services.

David helped my husband and I resolve very difficult and emotional issues in a cost-effective and kind manner. We could barely sit in the same room with each other prior to entering into mediation with David. However, David helped us see things from the other person's point of view and then led us to...ward a global settlement that was win-win for both of this. Because of David's skillful and intuitive skills we now attend child events together, cover for each other with the kids and communicate regularly about how to best care for our children. David truly saved us from what could have been a disaster for our family.