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                     CP CAL NEWSLETTER
2011/3
June 2011
Greetings!
We are pleased to bring you Volume 2011/3 of the CP Cal Newsletter, the electronic newsletter of Collaborative Practice California.
Past issues of the CP Cal Newsletter are archived on the CP Cal website at www.cpcal.com. If you have comments or questions, please contact Susan Campbell or Margaret (Peg) Anderson, Managing Editors. Susan's email address is Susan@bvfinancialresources.com and Peg's email address is mlanders@sonic.net
Letter from the President 
Randy Cheek

I hope you have been taking advantage of the wonderful spring and early summer. Your board continues to be busy with activities to spread the word about Collaborative Practice. We are still wrapping up our CP Cal Celebration VI. The conference offered many valuable educational and networking opportunities for all who attended. For those of you who missed it, you can purchase audio CDs through our website, CPCal.org. CP Cal was also fortunate to have Talia Katz, Executive Director of the IACP, in attendance at the Celebration.

 

The board is planning its annual August weekend retreat to review the long-range plans developed last year. We will also be looking ahead at ways for the board to encourage member participation on committees.

 

At the May 1 delegates meeting, we voted in new board members:  Suzan Barrie-Aiken, Debra Bellings-Kee, Justin Reckers, Fred Glassman and Julia Brungess. I am personally looking forward to working with the new energy they will be bringing to your organization. When we have new members coming onto the board, we also have former board members leave. I wish to thank our departing board members for their service, creativity and vast stores of energy;  these include our founding president, Hal Bartholomew, Judi Foley, Emily Weaver, Laura Dewey, and Steve Rutlen. It has been an honor to have worked with such a dedicated group of Collaborative professionals. Kathleen O'Connor, recent past president, will remain on the board as one of our two past presidents. I am thankful to have Kathleen continue to bring her enthusiasm and commitment to CP Cal.

 

Over the coming weeks, members of the board will be telephoning delegates to begin conversations about what local groups need from CP Cal. We also want to hear about some of the creative public education activities our groups are organizing.

 

Please save the date for the IACP Forum, which we will be hosting this year. You may be contacted by members of CP Cal's Forum Host committee to assist with CP Cal's responsibilities as host. The IACP Forum is set for October 28-30, 2011 at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.

We are Pleased to Introduce our Five New Board Members

  

Suzan Barrie Aiken, JD is a Collaborative Family Law Attorney and Mediator in private practice in Sausalito, California. Suzan is the outgoing president of the Collaborative Family Law Professionals of Marin after five years of service in this role and will continue on the board of CFLPM as the immediate past president. She is a founding member of the Northern California Public Education Committee for Collaborative Practice (NorCal PEC). Suzan was a co-chair of the Third (2008) and Sixth (2011) Annual CP Cal Celebrations and will serve as the co-chair of the Seventh Annual CP Cal Celebration in 2012. She has been active on the program committee for the CP Cal Celebration for the past five years. Suzan was honored with the CP Cal Eureka Award in 2010.

 

With thirteen years of Collaborative Practice experience, Suzan is committed to practice excellence, and is passionate about ongoing learning and training. For the past five years, Suzan has devoted her practice exclusively to consensual dispute resolution as a Collaborative attorney, mediator and consultant. She regularly presents on Collaborative Practice to statewide and local groups, including at the annual California Psychological Association and California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists conferences.

 

Suzan is a newlywed, and she and her husband, Kirby, and three stepchildren, Crewe (9), Summer (11) and Sonja (14), live in Mill Valley. Suzan's adult son, Mino (27), now lives in Oklahoma and works for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Suzan is a passionate gardener, dancer, musician and peace builder.

 

Debra Bellings-Kee, JD, MFT is a divorce coach in Collaborative divorce, mediation, and traditional divorce models. She is a custody and parenting plan mediator and acts as a child specialist in Collaborative divorce matters. Debra has a psychotherapy practice specializing in working with children, adolescents and adults moving through the divorce transition and in post-divorce co-parenting counseling. In addition to being a board member of CP Cal, she serves on the board of Collaborative Practice San Francisco, and is a member of Collaborative Family Law Professionals of Marin. Debra is actively involved in training presentations on Collaborative Practice and divorce issues on local, state and international levels. She has offices in San Francisco and Marin County. Before becoming a mental health practitioner, Debra practiced family law in San Francisco for over ten years.

 

Justin A. Reckers, CFP, CDFA, AIF, is Director of Financial Planning at Pacific Wealth Management, www.PacWealth.com , Managing Director of Pacific Divorce Management, www.PacDivorce.com, and a writer, speaker and thought leader in the field of Applied Behavioral Finance www.BehavioralFinances.com .

 

Pacific Wealth Management (PWM) is an independent investment management, consulting, and financial planning company specializing in asset growth and preservation strategies for high-net worth individuals, corporations and foundations. The Del Mar, CA-based boutique firm manages approximately $200 million in assets for clients throughout the United States.

 

Pacific Divorce Management (PDM) is a San Diego based firm that specializes in the financial aspects that arise for individuals and couples going through a divorce. We offer Dispute Resolution services in Collaborative Divorce and Mediation. We work regularly with attorneys serving as an Expert Financial Analyst in neutral or advocacy roles in the litigation process.

 

Applied Behavioral Finance is a collaboration between Reckers and Psychologist, Robert A. Simon, Ph.D. Reckers and Simon explore the Intersection of Economic Theory and Psychology in Financial Decision-Making. They write, speak and consult on topics ranging from everyday decisions to buy, sell, borrow and save, to investing, estate and succession planning and dispute resolution for divorce, probate and other conflicts.

 

Justin is a graduate of The Ohio State University, a Certified Financial Planner™, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ and Accredited Investment Fiduciary™. He is a board member of CP Cal, executive board member of the Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego and Trustee of the Pacific South Coast Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

 

Other memberships and affiliations include the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, the Association of Divorce Financial Planners, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the Financial Planning Association, the San Diego County Bar Association, and the Center for Fiduciary Studies.

 

 

Frederick J. Glassman, JD is a founding partner of Mayer & Glassman Law Corporation in Los Angeles. A veteran of 35 years of litigation, he now focuses his practice on resolution-oriented approaches to family law disputes. He is the president of the Los Angeles Collaborative Family Law Association. Fred has appeared on the Time Warner Public Television Shows "Changing the Face of Divorce - New Century, New Beginnings"; "What is Collaborative Law?"; and "Collaborative Practice: the Sensible, Safe and Sensitive Way to Divorce."  He is a frequent author, speaker and panel member for the American Bar Association Family Law and Dispute Resolution Sections, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and Collaborative Practice California (CP Cal) annual conferences. His review of Family Code 2013 recognizing Collaborative Law in California appears as the leading article for LexisNexis-Matthew Bender California Law Monthly.

 

Fred is an Official Observer to the Drafting Committee on the Uniform Collaborative Law Act for the Uniform Law Commission, and has authored articles for the Family Law News - Official Publication of the State Bar of California Family Law Section. He authored the chapters entitled "A Way to Resolve with Respect" and "Understanding Collaborative Family Law" for Thomson Reuters. He is a recipient of CP Cal's Eureka Award. Fred has been selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America ® and named in Southern California's Best Lawyers 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions for family Collaborative Law and mediation. He is listed in Martindale Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers with their highest AV-rating in legal ability and ethical standards. Fred's complete curriculum vitae is available on his website: www.mglawcorp.com. He may be reached by email at fglassman@mglawcorp.com.

 

 

Julia Ann Brungess, JD graduated from CSU Fresno in 1974 with a Bachelor's Degree in Microbiology. Julie completed her clinical internship at Valley Medical Center in August 1975 and received her license as a certified laboratory technologist that fall. After working several years in the blood bank at Valley Medical Center/Fresno, Julia chose to change careers and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from San Joaquin College of Law in May 1982. Julia was admitted to the State Bar of California in December 1982 and has since practiced primarily in family law. She was certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in 1993 and maintains that certification today.

 

Julia is a member of the Fresno County Bar Association, the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, Fresno County Women Lawyers, and the Family Law Section of the Fresno County Bar Association. Julia is a past chair of the Family Law Section of the Fresno County Bar Association, a past member of the Fresno County Domestic Violence Round Table, a past president of the Marjaree Mason Center Board of Directors, and has served as a judge pro tem in the Fresno County Superior Court presiding over family law and juvenile delinquency calendars.

 

Julia maintains her office in Fresno, California. She began her Collaborative Practice in 2003 and hopes to become a non-litigator as soon as possible. Julia serves her clients by handling all matters arising out of family law proceedings and representing individuals in guardianship proceedings. She (still) appears in Fresno, Tulare and Madera County courts.

 

At present, Julia is president of her local Collaborative Practice group, Central Valley Collaborative Law Affiliates, and is excited about the growth she sees in that group as well as the increasing local public acceptance of Collaborative Law as a viable and preferable alternative to litigation. She is honored by her election to the CP Cal board, a goal she set several years ago after meeting and hosting its current president, Randy Cheek, who inspired her to intensify her commitment to Collaborative Practice.

 

Julia and her husband live in Madera County. They have one son and two beautiful grandchildren who live in Oakland, California.

Celebration VI at Rancho Bernardo

Kathleen O'Connor

 

APRIL 2011 - San Diego welcomed us to RANCHO BERNARDO - a beautiful, tranquil setting -  to visit with friends, to dance, to toast and to celebrate our achievements.  

 

The Celebration VI Program Committee is congratulated on finding a balance of theoretical and practical topics, as well as a variety of speakers who reinforced repeatedly the thoughts of the previous speakers. If you were unable to attend, here is a synopsis of what you missed.

 

Judge Michele Lowrance of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, welcomed us with words of encouragement. Judge Lowrance reminds us to keep our eye on the goal. It has taken 40 years for the last state to adopt no-fault divorce and it will take time to change how courts, legislatures and families view the process of divorce.

 

Judge Lowrance suggests that families caught in the emotion of divorce can be moved from emotions to rational thinking by utilizing recent findings on how the brain works. This theme repeated itself throughout the conference. Judge Lowrance's book, The Good Karma Divorce, explains writing assignments used in her courtroom to help families deal rationally with highly emotional issues.

 

San Diego's own Robert Simon PhD and Justin Reckers presented their work on Applied Behavioral Finance. Dr. Simon and Mr. Reckers are developing techniques based upon scientific evidence to move financial decisions from the emotional to the rational part of the brain. For those who missed this presentation, you will be able to hear Robert and Justin at the IACP Forum this October in San Francisco.

 

Bill Eddy, LCSW, San Diego, echoed the same theme in his presentation on "Practice Exercises for Managing Borderlines and Narcissists." Mr. Eddy has published and presented widely on handling narcissists and on the development of parenting plans for high-conflict parents. Mr. Eddy stresses the two major areas of the brain and the techniques to help bring the client to rational thinking. Much like Judge Lowrance, Mr. Eddy includes writing and list-making in the techniques.

 

Dr. Gabor Maté of Canada, was the keynote speaker on Saturday morning. Dr. Maté presented a synopsis of the current thought regarding the centrality of early childhood experiences to the development of adult patterns of behavior and relationships and the onset of physical and mental illness. Collaborative work may be hard, but we cannot understate the positive effects on parents and children of limiting the stress of the family restructuring.

 

And then there was the practical. Woody Mosten presented on the development of Collaborative Practice. LACFLA Founder Donna Beck Weaver joined with Chicago Collaborative professional carl Michael rossi to suggest techniques to neutralize the well-meaning suggestions of clients' family and friends.  A Better Divorce made a forthright and honest presentation on issues that groups will face as the group coalesces and grows. Ann Buscho, PhD and Elizabeth Salin, MFT presented techniques they have developed to help families 'share the nest' during these difficult economic times. Debra Lewis and Terri Breer brought us current information on retirement plans and QDROs as part of the Collaborative process. Our in-house tax experts, Hal Bartholomew and Beverly Brautigam shared insights into the financial and tax challenges of domestic partnerships.

 

If you were unable to attend, you missed a special event. Mark your calendar now for April 27 - 29, 2012 when Celebration VII will be held in Northern California.

 

Action Items from CP Cal Board Meeting

Susan Campbell

 

Once again, your board has an ambitious agenda of things to accomplish during the upcoming year. Several committees and task forces were formed at our last board meeting, including:

 

·         The Website and Social Media Committee is being co-chaired by Stephanie Maloney and Justin Reckers

·         Celebration VII is being co-chaired by Suzan Barrie Aiken and Dawn Strachan

·         The Host Committee for the IACP Forum is being co-chaired by George Richardson and Randy Cheek 

·         The Tool Box Committee is being co-chaired by George Richardson, Fred Glassman and Kim Davidson; this committee will develop a central repository of materials that can be accessed by all members of CP Cal, so please submit any presentations, brochures, forms, videos, scripts, ads, etc.   

·         The Mental Health Task Force is being co-chaired by Debra Bellings-Kee and David Kuroda

·         The Domestic Violence Task Force is being co-chaired by Kathleen O'Connor, Julia Ann Brungess and David Kuroda

·         The Newsletter Committee is being co-chaired by Susan Campbell and Margaret Anderson

 

All of these committees and task forces are a wonderful way for you to get involved with CP Cal. If you have a passion for, or an interest in, any of the areas described above, please reach out to the co-chairs; your help will definitely be appreciated.

A Special Thanks to Hal Bartholomew

Kathleen O'Connor

 

With the formation of the CP Cal Board in the Fall of 2006, and the first election of officers, Hal Bartholomew stepped into the position as the first president of our organization. There was no blueprint, only Hal's vision and his height.

 

Hal recognized the need for a governing document which included all professional categories and each region of the state.  Even before his election to the presidency, he also recognized the cohesive value of a state-wide conference and the value of an annual award recognizing the contributions of practitioners.

 

In 2002, Hal started driving 160 miles round trip to the monthly Nor Cal PEC Collaborative professional dinners in Oakland to discuss how to build awareness of Collaborative Practice in California.  By 2004, Hal joined Collaborative professionals from northern and southern California at Green Gulch Farm in Mill Valley  to further public education and also to discuss the need for a state-wide organization.

 

From those first meetings in Oakland to Green Gulch to the constitutional convention in 2006 and the first board meeting later that year, Hal was there sharing his experience, wit, wisdom and wine.

 

The first Celebration was Hal's idea. There was no treasury. There was no budget. Quietly, Hal arranged the hotel, the program, and the constitutional convention. And no one thought to ask who made the deposits or who was taking the risk . . . Hal just handled it all.

 

Hal envisioned the Eureka award honoring those who contributed so significantly to the growth of Collaborative Practice in California.

 

Hal and his wife, Beverly Brautigam, offered their award-winning tax program, Tax Consequences of Divorce, without honorarium at Celebrations in order to help increase the profit of the conferences. Hal labeled and donated "Collaboration Celebration" Wine. Hal even donated the first branded merchandise - the wine bag!

 

After serving as president for 1 ˝ years, Hal continued his board service to CP Cal. While nurturing our organization, Hal continued his busy practice, parenting of his sons, loving his wife (an easy task), leading the Sacramento Collaborative Practice Group, and cutting the ribbon at an Elk Grove, California park named in his honor.

 

There are few of us who can think so big, take such risks, and produce such remarkable results. There are few of us who will leave such a large footprint on the earth, and this has nothing to do with the size of his feet! We are all grateful for having had the opportunity to work with Hal and for what Hal has done for our organization. We extend our sincere gratitude to a wonderful man.

 

 

In This Issue
Letter From the President
Five New Board Members
Celebration VI at Rancho Bernardo
Action Items from CP Cal Board Meeting
A Special Thanks to Hal Bartholomew
We Need Your Input!
Dates to Remember

IACP Annual Forum - October 28-30, 2011       St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco

 

CP Cal Celebration VII - April 27-29, 2012, location in northern CA

We Need Your Input!

The CP Cal 6th Annual Celebration - "Collaboration Without Borders: Expanding our Horizons" - is now behind us and we are beginning the planning for Celebration VII in northern California.

 

We are asking for your help.  The planning committee would like to create an educational and networking opportunity for attorneys, mental health and financial professionals that is enriching, rewarding, and affordable.  Our attendance was down this year and we would like to know why, and what we can do to attract more attendees at future Celebrations.

 

Kindly take a moment to give us your feedback and suggestions by filling out a brief survey.  Click here for the survey.

Divorce Option Workshops

CP Cal is pleased to sponsor a state-wide community service program, "Divorce Options™ Workshops." The materials for these workshops, including PowerPoint presentations and advertising brochures, will be made available to CP Cal member practice groups. Each practice group is encouraged to provide a Divorce Options workshop in their community each month.

  
Upcoming Workshops:
June 11, 2011
8:00am-1:00pm
Holiday Inn Express
1398 E. Roseville Pkwy
Roseville, CA
  
June 11, 2011 
10:00am-1:00pm
Cal Northern School of Law
1395 Ridgewood Dr.
Chico, CA
  
June 14, 2011
7:00pm-9:00pm
Faifield Inn
2410 Naglee Rd.
Tracy, CA
  
June 15, 2011
6:30pm-8:30pm
Krofloff Law Office
7540 Shoreline Dr.
Stockton, CA
  
July 9, 2011
8:00am-1:00pm
Folsom Lake College
Aspen Hall FL1-8
  
July 9, 2011
10:00am-1:00pm
Cal Northern School of Law
1395 Ridgewood Dr.
Chico, CA
 
 
ABOUT CP CAL
Collaborative Practice California is a statewide organization of Collaborative Practice groups.  We are an interdisciplinary volunteer organization. For details on how you can become involved in CP Cal, see your local Delegate.
 
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