Ellen is a lawyer and coach who understands and respects the difficult emotional position her clients are in when they work with her.  She is passionate about ensuring that her clients are safe and supported.  Ellen is mindful of how hard it can be for children in the middle of parental conflict and coaches her clients to protect their children too.

Marriages all end in death and divorce.  Ellen knows this deeply on a personal level.  She has navigated a divorce and shared parenting with success.  She has recently said goodbye to a beloved husband whose passing newly revealed Ellen’s inner strength and wisdom.  Ellen brings a depth of life experience to divorce coaching.

Ellen grew up outside of Detroit, Michigan. She attended Michigan State University for two years before moving to Florida, where she graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a B.A.E. in Special Education and a minor in psychology. She received her law degree from Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University and began twenty years of family law practice in Ft. Lauderdale, where she was a certified Family Mediator, a qualified Arbitrator, and was trained in Collaborative Family Law.

Ellen concentrated her practice in Florida on family law and family mediation, and she was a founding member of the original collaborative lawyers’ group in South Florida. Quite frequently, Ellen was appointed by the courts as guardian ad litem, representing children in divorce and custody cases.

In 2006, Ellen and her late husband moved to Henderson County. Since residing in the area, Ellen has worked as the Family Court Administrator in Asheville and in Raleigh. Ellen has also worked as an attorney and community outreach specialist at Safelight, Inc., Henderson County’s domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse service provider.

Ellen is presently a member of Siemens Family Law Group, where she works as a family law attorney.  Ellen contributes to the legal community as a parenting coordinator, mediator, and collaborative lawyer.  Ellen’s legal experience is a perfect complement to divorce coaching.