Previous Law Firm Name

• Leys, Martie H.

Languages

• English

Law Firm Overview

LAW PRACTICE OVERVIEW & PHILOSOPHY

My mission is to help people divorce or restructure their lives out of court, in a calm and respectful manner, giving particular attention to the emotional well being and the financial security of the whole family. I specialize in Mediation and Collaborative Practice. I am available for consultations, advice and full-scale representation. I provide unbundled services for people who are motivated to proceed without representation. I will occasionally go to court, but only as a last resort.

I established my firm in October 1998, after I decided to focus my practice exclusively in Family Law. I have made it a point to establish good working relationships with my colleagues, because I believe that a good relationship among professionals will enable me and my counterparts to most effectively and efficiently meet the needs of our clients and their children. The advent of Collaborative Practice as an alternative dispute resolution choice for people began to grow in Sonoma County at the same time I opened my practice and is a perfect fit for me.

ABOUT ME

For all my working life I have been involved in the helping professions. I have been a social worker, a community organizer, a teacher of young children and a teacher of adults learning English as a second language. During college I spent a year studying and working in various African countries, which was for me a life-altering experience. I have raised, with my partner of 35 years, four wonderful children. I was an intern Family Court Services mediator in Alameda County while in law school. After law school, I worked in juvenile law and in a general civil practice in Petaluma, prior to launching my own family law practice. From my experience I have grown to appreciate and honor all the different perspectives, the different challenges and the different stories that make up each person's life experience.

I am an active member of the Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire and serve on the Protocol Committee and Speaker's Bureau. I act as a Settlement Conference Officer with the Sonoma County Superior Court ADR program and volunteer as a Legal Aid Family Law Clinic attorney, advising and assisting the self-represented in family law. I am working with colleagues to establish a Modest Means program, to make Collaborative Practice available to lower-income people with family law issues.

Areas of Practice

• Family Law Collaborative and Cooperative Practice 50%
• Family Law Mediation and Consultations 45%
• Traditional Representation 5%

Classes and Seminars

• Presentations Regarding Collaborative Practice, Pet. Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Clubs and Other Service Organizations, 2000 - Present

Pro Bono Activities

• Attorney for Legal Aid Family Law Clinics, 2003 - Present
• Superior Court Case Management Panelist, Sonoma County Superior Court, 2003 - Present
• Sonoma County Legal Aid, Family Law Clinic Attorney, 2003 - Present
• Lawyers With Heart, Legal Aid Fund Raiser, 2002 - Present

West Practice Categories

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation, Family Law, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Childrens' Rights, Collaborative Law, Custody & Visitation, Divorce, Domestic Violence & Neglect, Juvenile Law, Paternity, Prenuptial Agreements