Recent Posts

Thought Leadership

Common Mistakes in Family Law Matters: Pitfalls Practitioners and Courts Should Avoid (Part 2)

Comm. Patti C. Ratekin (Ret.)

October 23, 2025 - Shutterstock F amily law mistakes come in many forms, but they are in- variably costly unless promptly recognized and rectified. As noted in...

Announcement

Bilingual Mediation More than Words

Hon. Patricia Garcia (Ret.)

September 16, 2025 - Shutterstock W hen individuals seek relief through the legal system -- talking with law- yers, filling out forms, answering questions - t...

Thought Leadership

10 ways lawyers can maximize family law mediation outcomes

Hon. Dianna Gould-Saltman (Ret.)

September 12, 2025 - Shutterstock Imagine a couple - we’ll call them Jane and Pete - who have been married 25 years and have two teenagers. Jane has a thriving c...

Announcement

Part I: Process Errors

Comm. Patti C. Ratekin (Ret.)

August 14, 2025 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2025 Shutterstock F amily law matters can be very costly; when mistakes are made, those costs can be even higher. Cases in-...

Thought Leadership

Legal tools for addressing substance abuse in Family Court cases

Hon. Harry L. Powazek (Ret.)

August 01, 2025 - FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025 Shutterstock F amily courts are already struggling with a lack of resources and rapid judicial turnover. Expecting ju...

Thought Leadership

Representing clients with mental health problems: At what cost?

Hon. Patricia Garcia (Ret.)

June 27, 2025 - Shutterstock T oward the end of my ten- ure as a family law judge, I presided over a high- conflict case that indelibly imprinted itself in...

Thought Leadership

Family law crisis: Why divorce cases now take years and cost more

Hon. Harry L. Powazek (Ret.)

June 02, 2025 - Shutterstock W hen it comes to re- solving family law dis- putes, the “good old days” weren’t all that bad. I began practicing fami...

Thought Leadership

Mediating divorce after a natural disaster

Hon. Dianna Gould-Saltman (Ret.)

April 16, 2025 - A house engulfed in flames during the Eaton Fire in Altadena. | Shutterstock W hen a couple seeks to settle their divorce through mediation, bo...

Announcement

Signature Resolution expands into Central California with 3 veteran neutrals

Hon. Stephen D. Schuett (Ret.)

April 02, 2025 - In a move aimed at bolstering its statewide footprint, Signature Re- solution announced Tuesday it is expanding into Central California through...

Thought Leadership

Family law needs a make-over: Mediation first, drama later

Comm. Gretchen W. Taylor (Ret.)

March 19, 2025 - Family law disputes in the United States suffer from inefficient processes that drain resources, prolong emo- tional distress, and often do more...

Neutral Spotlight

Retired judge leads Signature Resolution’s San Francisco push

Hon. Anne-Christine Massullo (Ret.)

February 24, 2025 - Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal. ©2025 Daily Journal Corporation. All rights reserved. Reprinted by ReprintPros 949-702-5390. “A...

Announcement

Signature Resolution will open Silicon Valley office

May 10, 2024 - S ignature Resolution an- nounced Thursday that it would open a Silicon Valley office this fall. The new office will be the ADR firm’s fift...