Divorce can make your life seem chaotic and uncertain, but having a seasoned professional by your side can help you reach the end with your financial and personal houses in order -- so you can face the future with confidence and security. "Other areas of law, such as personal injury, are trying to compensate for a past wrong," explains Pauline M. Rosen, whose full-service family-law firm, the Law & Mediation Offices of Pauline Rosen, serves the greater Los Angeles area, "but family law provides a rare opportunity to help people fix the future."

With ten years' experience in the L.A. area, Rosen is a compassionate yet realistic attorney who takes a client-centered approach to cases. "I really listen to clients," she says. "I never forget that it's their divorce. I help them to make informed decisions -- but the client is always the decision-maker." Rosen and her staff guide clients to the best possible outcome based on their expectations: "I see this as a mutual process. We use the initial free consultation to get a sense of the client's personality and goals, and we look for rapport."

Rosen believes it's always in people's best interests to settle their divorce matters rather than litigate, and she offers dispute-resolution alternatives such as mediation and collaborative law to help clients settle their cases with their finances and emotions relatively intact. "As a mediator, I help people understand the law and what each party's rights are; this way, they can create an agreement that they're both comfortable with."

She's also very enthusiastic about collaborative law, in which both parties and their lawyers work together toward settlement without the option of litigation. "Collaborative law is in development, but I think it will prove to be a superior way to pursue a divorce -- especially in cases with children," she states confidently. "It provides a neutral forum to create a successful co-parenting plan." She also works with international child custody issues, including Hague Convention proceedings.

This versatile lawyer is equally effective in the courtroom. "If settlement is not possible, I can and will aggressively litigate a client's case."

Rosen's expertise in family law is well regarded: she has lectured on family law for the Bienvenidos Children's Center and the University of Southern California. She also serves as a mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court, Family Law Department.

One of her mediation clients, a VP of Human Resources for a Fortune 500 Company, wrote to Rosen, "I am thankful for you and your expertise in helping us through our divorce."

"I love when former clients tell me how well things are going afterwards," says Rosen enthusiastically. "They're on their way to living their lives separately and apart -- and happy -- at the end of the process. I call it 'fixing the future.'"

Brief biography:

Pauline M. Rosen received her B.A. from the University of Florida in 1975 and her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1994. She is a member of the Los Angeles Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the California State Bar. She is the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Ethics, Counseling and Negotiation and in Criminal Procedure. Ms. Rosen is the author of Medical Staff Peer Review: Qualifying the Qualified Privilege Provision , 27 Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review 357 (1993). She has appeared as a guest on NBC's In Depth and The Talk Channel with Denise Richardson. Ms. Rosen's published cases include People v. Orange County Charitable Services (1999) 73 Cal. App. 4th and Bishopp v. Department of the Air Force (1997) 75 M.S.P.R. 33. Ms. Rosen began her legal career working with the legendary first amendment and disability rights attorney, Stanley Fleishman (1920-1999), at the firm of Fleishman, Fisher & Moest. During her tenure with Mr. Fleishman, she participated in the following published cases: U.S. v. X-Citement Video , Inc. (1994) 513 U.S. 64; Kilgour v. City of Pasadena (1995) 53 F. 3d 1007, Paige v. Something Weird Video (1996) 908 F. Supp. 714; and Berry v. City of Santa Barbara (1995) 40 Cal. App. 4th 489. Ms. Rosen regularly appeared in United States District Court and the Los Angeles Superior Court. Areas of Practice Family Law Collaborative Law Mediation

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact:

The Law & Mediation Offices of Pauline Rosen
1801 South Catalina Avenue, Suite 103,
Redondo Beach, California 90277
Phone: (310) 791-4494
Website: www.family-law-mediation.com
e-mail: prosenesq@aol.com

Pauline Rosen has written the following articles that can be read on DivorceMagazine.com:

FAQs:

• "I am worried that my ex-husband is going to abduct our two children and flee when he has access. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?"
• "How is it determined which of our property is marital and which is separate?"
• "My ex-wife has custody of our children, and she wants to move across the country with them. Can she do this?"
• "How can I, as a father, increase my chances of being awarded the primary custody of my children?"
• "Can collaborative law help me to settle my divorce more amicably? How is it different from mediation?"