Philosophy

Since starting my sole practice twenty years ago, I have specialized in all aspects of family law, for traditional and non-traditional families. My focus has always been on achieving the best possible outcome for my client, with a minimum level of conflict and expense.

When children are involved, it has always been my practice to facilitate development of parenting arrangements that will afford security and consistency for the children, and allow for cooperative co-parenting, when possible. Studies establish that the greatest factor influencing how well children fare after the divorce of their parents is the level of conflict between the parents. With that in mind, I facilitate establishment of parenting arrangements that minimize the conflict. My counsel includes the knowledge gained from my continuing education in child welfare studies, as a part of my involvement with Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee (IDC), an educational group of attorneys and mental health professionals working in the area of child welfare.

In the area of the financial aspects of divorce, I am experienced in property and maintenance cases ranging from small marital estates through complex and substantial estates. When cases involve many complex assets, it is my practice to become thoroughly educated, through alliance with specialists with the appropriate expertise to provide analysis and advice. Through thorough and complete preparation, I am generally able to achieve settlements, through negotiation and mediation, without the expense, stress, and uncertainty, of court litigation.

An important aspect of my responsibilities is providing my clients with counsel and preparation for mediation, which is an important, and required, part of the divorce process. Mediation is also an important part of the process of gay and lesbian "divorces." My training and certification as a mediator provides me with the necessary expertise to assist my clients in using the mediation process effectively.

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Fees

I charge $225 per hour for my time in providing legal representation. Billing for paralegal time is $100 per hour.

I charge a flat fee for: proceedings for determination of parental rights; Wills and Powers of Attorney

I do provide a brief initial consultation without charge. However, I do not give legal advice, or analyze the case in such meetings. For those services, I charge my hourly fee. The purpose of the initial consultation without charge is to permit prospective clients to learn more about me and my practice, and to assess whether we are well-suited for working together.

Professional Organizations

Colorado Bar Association

Boulder County Bar Association

Boulder County family law section

Boulder County Interdisciplinary Committee

Mediation Training

Certified Mediation Process training program CDR Associates in Boulder, Colorado, 1994

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Barbara Lavender, PC
Attorney at Law
595 Canyon Boulevard
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: 303-443-3326
Fax: 303-443-0560

Website Design by
Annie Hughes for Earthshine Design.

My practice includes the full range of family law services, including prenuptial and antenuptial agreements, all aspects of divorce, allocation of parental responsibilities (formerly known as custody), step-parent adoptions, grandparent rights, and estate planning. I also provide family law and estate planning services to gays and lesbians, including parental rights (for couples residing anywhere in Colorado), allocation of parental rights, sperm donor agreements, surrogacy agreements, gay and lesbian "divorce," domestic partnership agreements, wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.