OVERVIEW

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Sarah Killingsworth and Catherine Kendrick both represent clients in litigation and mediation. Both Sarah and Catherine also serve as a mediator in cases where both spouses consent to mediation as a forum for resolving their dissolution and Sarah Killingsworth is trained in collaborative law. 

 

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LITIGATION SERVICES

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We provide litigation services in all aspects of family law, including property division, child and spousal support, and custody. We frequently work with financial, estate planning and tax experts on behalf of our clients. Our attorneys are highly-respected litigators with over 35 years of combined legal experience. While the attorneys at Killingsworth Kendrick work very hard to obtain favorable outcomes for each client without going to court, there are times when settlement is not possible. In such cases, our attorneys are well prepared to excel in the courtroom.

MEDIATION

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In mediation, parties select a third party to act as a neutral to assist them in reaching a settlement on all aspects of their case. A mediator provides legal information and facilitates resolution. As mediators, we work with you to exchange information necessary to reach settlement, as well as prepare legal forms and settlement agreements. We provide memos after each mediation session that summarize agreements reached and the list of items to be completed by each party before the next session. All communication in mediation is privileged to encourage full and complete disclosure during the sessions. Parties in mediation frequently retain consulting attorneys for advice during the mediation process. Both Sarah and Catherine are highly skilled and respected mediators in the Bay Area.

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CONSULTING COUNSEL

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We are often retained to serve as consulting counsel to an individual in mediation with a mediator outside our office. In those cases, we provide feedback and review the Marital Settlement Agreement. We are also consulted by individuals who are just beginning the divorce or separation process and want information on what the law provides on property division, support or custody. In addition, we are often asked to provide a second opinion to clients who are currently represented.

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PRE-MARITAL & POST-MARITAL AGREEMENTS

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Pre-marital agreements, sometimes referred to as “pre-nups”, are agreements entered into by parties before a marriage that typically set forth the parties’ wishes in regard to the division of assets and spousal support to be paid in the event of separation or divorce. They also can address estate planning issues. Such agreements must be carefully crafted and the negotiations surrounding pre-marital agreements must be approached and handled with great sensitivity and precision.

Post-marital agreements, sometimes referred to as “post-nups” are agreements entered into by married persons after they have begun their marriage. Post-marital agreements typically address the division of assets in the event the parties dissolve their marriage. Often parties enter into post-marital agreements for estate planning purposes. Our attorneys understand the complexity and importance of such agreements as well as the need to skillfully negotiate these sensitive matters in a manner that protects our client’s interests without alienating their spouse.

Our attorneys will craft a pre-marital or post-marital agreement that meets your needs and safeguards your interests.

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COLLABORATIVE LAW

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In collaborative law, each party retains an attorney who has been trained in the process. At the outset, there is an agreement that the parties will not go to Court, and the attorneys and parties will work together to reach the best settlement for the family as a whole. Should either party elect to end the collaborative process and proceed to Court, the collaborative attorneys are precluded from representing them in litigation. The collaborative law process consists of a series of four-way meetings in which the aspects of the case are discussed, information gathered, brainstorming occurs, and, in a successful case, a settlement is reached. Sarah Killingsworth is trained in and practices collaborative law.

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