Don P. Desonier

King County Collaborative Law

Collaborative Team Role

Desonier Law & Mediation Services
10900 NE 8th St, Suite 900
Bellevue, WA 98004-4449

(425) 453-1252/fax (206) 588-2268

www.desoniermediation.com
don.desonier@me.com

After many years of feeling a lack of fulfillment and focus in his legal practice, Don came to an “A hah!” moment in the mid-90’s: he realized he simply could not reconcile maintaining both mediation and litigation practices at the same time. Don felt himself divided and split between two opposing worlds, and soon came to the conclusion that his focus – and mission – should be to pursue non-adversarial forms of dispute resolution.

This initially took the form of eliminating all forms of litigation and concentrating on family mediation. In October, 2001, a workshop on collaborative law in a small hotel conference room in Toronto introduced Don to the wonderful world of collaborative family practice. Two years later he found myself working with a small but growing group of dedicated professionals who saw that in the majority of cases, the traditional adversarial approach to divorce and separation was divisive and destructive.

Divorce or separation does not have to be – or feel – like a war zone. When a family’s world is changing and the parents and children are experiencing loss and transition, the last thing they need is increased tension, anxiety and fear. Don firmly believes that with a highly trained and dedicated team of collaborative professionals at their side, a divorcing or separating couple can indeed experience – and create – closure with integrity. Their chosen roadway in the journey towards the end of this chapter in their lives and that of their children does not have to be strewn with rocks and obstacles.

Education

Don is a trained collaborative family law attorney. He has taken the basic collaborative law training and several interest based communication skills trainings. In addition, Don has taken many supplementary advanced collaborative trainings, including interdisciplinary skills training.

Don is an Advanced Practitioner Member of the Association for Conflict Resolution. He is a Certified Mediator in Domestic Relations with the Washington Mediation Association.

As immediate past president of King County Collaborative Law (KCCL), Don continues as a board member of that organization. He is a member of the King County Bar Association Collaborative Law, Dispute Resolution and Family Law Sections, as well as the Dispute Resolution and Family Law Sections of the Washington State Bar Association.

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