On February 9, 2012, Bill presented the proposed Family Law Arbitration Act to the Massachusetts Bar Association Family Law Section Council, on behalf of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). The statute would formalize and codify Family Law Arbitration in Massachusetts for the first time.

On January 12, 2012, Chouteau taught in Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Divorce Mediation training  program, about divorce agreement drafting and mediation process.  She will reprise her presentation at the July 12, 2012 program.

On January 31, 2012, Bill taught at MCLE’s program on Pre-marital, Marital (post-nuptial) and Separation Agreements, focusing in part on the achievement of such agreements through mediation.

On March 14, 2012, Chouteau and Bill will both be speaking on Divorce and Family Business, at the Family Firm Institute (FFI) monthly breakfast speaker program at Murtha Culina, in Boston.

In April, 2012, both Bill and Chouteau will be instructors at Mediation Works Incorporated’s (MWI)  three day Divorce Mediation training program.

DEDHAM COUPLE START MEDIATION PRACTICE

MEDIATION FOR FAMILIES: Divorce can be painful – both emotionally and financially if the matter drags out in court. The husband-and-wife attorney team of William M. Levine and E. Chouteau Levine of Dedham last month launched a business to mediate disputes involving family law, such as divorce and probate, before they get to court.

Dedham Couple Start Mediation Practice – Click Here to Read More

MASS CHAPTER OF AAML APPROVES REVISED FAMILY LAW ARBITRATION ACT

On January 25, 2012, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers approved a revised version of its proposed Family Law Arbitration Act for submission to the legislature.  WILLIAM M. LEVINE, of Levine Dispute Resolution Center LLC of Westwood and Northampton, MA, presented the bill with its revisions to the AAML-MA Board of Managers at its December 2012 meeting and it’s final version was later approved by email poll of board members.  Mr. Levine will present the newly authorized proposal to the Massachusetts Bar Association Family Law Council for its consideration, in February.

Chouteau and Bill taught the Norfolk Law Library’s Brown Bag Lunch program on “Alimony in Massachusetts:  Why is Reform Never Simple?”, on Thursday, January 19, 2012.

MA based legal mediation firm opens -  Click Here to Read More

Levine Dispute Resolution Center LLC Launches Dispute Resolution Partnership

Westwood, MA—December 26, 2011—The husband-and-wife legal team of E. Chouteau and William M. Levine is proud to announce the launch of Levine Dispute Resolution Center LLC (LDRC), a compelling partnership for those seeking confidential, cost-effective and technically suitable out-of-court solutions to an array of legal disputes.

The LDRC partnership will launch in January, 2012, with offices in Westwood and Northampton, MA, covering the Greater Boston and Western Massachusetts markets.  LDRC will help clients reach settlement of family law, probate, elder, small business and other disputes.

“The need for out-of-court settlement options is greater than ever,” said Chouteau Levine, a retired Probate and Family Court judge and veteran divorce lawyer/mediator.  “The courts are in unprecedented crisis.  Budget cuts, hiring freezes and caseload gridlock have made our beleaguered court system an unwelcoming place that is intimidating, expensive and frustrating to navigate.

“At the same time, there is an increasing demand to address family and business disputes.  The Levine Dispute Resolution Center will offer a way to pursue voluntary alternatives that take less time, cost less money, and create less tension than legal confrontations that engender intractable positioning and rhetoric.”

LRDC arose from the Levines’ belief that their decades of experience as lawyers, mediators and decision-makers in the high stakes, sophisticated world of modern probate and family law could be utilized to provide a less antagonistic, private and more efficient avenue for clients who value those goals – with an expertise that encourages the parties to develop mutually beneficial solutions where their technical needs are fully respected and addressed.

There are many mediators in the market, but none that function as a team with the probate and family law experience of the Levines.  With strong and longstanding relationships with lawyers, business experts and the mental health community, LDRC has the ability to achieve successful resolutions for both sides of disputes involving the most sophisticated of financial and personal matters.

“LDRC’s services are particularly suitable for families in legal and other transitional crises,” said William Levine, formerly of Boston’s Lee & Levine LLP, a high-end domestic relations “boutique” firm where he practiced for more than 26 years. “This could include parents struggling to make sense of being separated, small business owners and their families, and anyone with legal or financial disputes who would like to avoid the ravages of public litigation.

“LDRC services are especially well suited for those who hope to emerge from dispute with a capacity to work together on future problems with little loss of or, in some cases, even enhanced good will.”

Bill and Chouteau Levine have both been recognized by fellowship in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a national organization of approximately 1600 lawyers that is the acknowledged leader in the advancement of family law practice and the substantive law, and in numerous other ways over the years.

Bill and Chouteau Levine have both raised families and experienced their own divorces.  Chouteau particularly understands the difficulties of working mothers, having attended college and law school, and then practiced law, while rearing her two sons and stepdaughter.  Together, Bill and Chouteau are now enjoying their early grandparent years and blended family.  Both believe that their personal experiences round out and expand their ability to creatively provide private problem solving for families and small businesses.

Further information about Levine Dispute Resolution Center LLC and their services is available on the LDRC website at www.levinedisputeresolution.com.  Confidential consultations can be arranged by calling (781) 708-4445 or 413-341-1017 or by emailing info@levinedisputeresolution.com.