Our Purpose
We help families discover the benefits of collaborative solutions for marriage dissolution, child custody and co-parenting issues, division of assets and more.
Blaine Atkisson, LPC is a mental health therapist who works with adults and couples on issues primarily revolving around relationship difficulties, life transitions and anxiety. Blaine specializes in helping clients learn to set healthy boundaries through self-advocacy, improve communication and conflict resolution, and increase confidence when dealing with uncertainty. These same outcomes are applied within the Collaborative Divorce model, where Blaine works with a team of legal and financial professionals to collaboratively transition couples through the process of divorce.
Erica Giovanni Baez focuses her practice on family law. Erica understands the difficult emotional, spiritual, and financial challenges presented by divorce and other domestic relations matters. She offers exceptional communication and compassionate counsel to her clients as they navigate some of life’s most difficult and personal challenges. She has vast experience handling divorce, custody and visitation, relocation, and child support cases. As a certified Guardian Ad Litem for children, Erica works diligently to help her clients fight for their children’s best interests.
Erica is licensed to practice law in both Virginia and Florida. She has been recognized by Virginia Business magazine’s Legal Elite in the area of Family Law/Domestic Relations, and a named a Rising Star by Virginia Super Lawyers. She is the Immediate Past President of the Chesterfield Bar Association. She previously served on the Board of Directors and as the inaugural Chairwoman of the Women’s Business Council of the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce.
Erica is a competitive ballroom dancer and has taught dance lessons and dance exercise. She is involved in the Richmond fine arts community, and you will occasionally see her performing in musicals and plays. She and her husband, Jesse Baez, also a local trial attorney, and their very busy toddler reside in Chesterfield and attend Crestwood Church.
I strongly believe the Collaborative Process is the best way to help families through the transitions arising from divorce, support, and custody changes. It allows clients to address their individual concerns while discovering common goals and mutual benefits in the best interest of the whole family.
Mollie Barton practices in all areas of family law, including divorce, custody, visitation, and support. Mollie is a committed advocate and creative problem solver. Her reassuring presence and empathic approach help clients feel confident and comfortable as they work to resolve their legal matters.
She has been selected for inclusion in Virginia Rising Stars in Richmond magazine since 2009 and Virginia Super Lawyers since 2014. For three years, Mollie was named to the list of Top 50 Women Virginia Super Lawyers. Mollie was included in the 24th edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Mollie is a 2004 graduate of the George Mason University School of Law, where she was a participant in the Domestic Relations Legal Clinic and a student member of the George Mason American Inn of Court. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bryn Mawr College in 1996 and received a Master of Arts degree in American Studies at the College of William & Mary in 1998. Mollie was formerly associated with Colten Cummins Watson & Vincent PC in Fairfax, Virginia, where she practiced family law and volunteered with several pro bono programs.
Mollie lives in the City of Richmond with her husband and three children. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and cooking.
Jennifer serves as Director of Financial Planning and Wealth Management at Kinloch Capital. A financial professional for over 25 years, she has worked as a Trust Officer, Municipal Bond Analyst and Financial Planner. Her diverse background allows Jennifer to bring a comprehensive approach when working with and guiding clients.
Jennifer is an avid equestrian who participates in Eventing competitions throughout the mid-Atlantic; and a member of the Deep Run Hunt Club in Goochland County. When not on horseback, Jennifer enjoys staying active in the gym and travel.
Jessica Beatty practices family law at Stiles Ewing Powers PC, focusing on divorce, child custody and visitation, spousal support, child support, and premarital agreements. She has been selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars since 2019 and Virginia Business Magazine Legal Elite for Family Law/Domestic Relations for 2020.
Jessica serves as co-chair of the Collaborative Professionals of Richmond. She is an active member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers’ Association Family Law Section, the Lewis F. Powell Inn of Court, and the Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association.
Jessica graduated with honors from the University of Virginia. She obtained her law degree from William & Mary School of Law and has been practicing exclusively family law since 2012.
Susan J Buniva, MSW, LCSW is a therapist and Collaborative Law Divorce Coach in private practice for over 40 years. She works with individuals, couples, families, and organizations, helping them move through transitions in their lives with greater ease, satisfaction, meaning, and success. She has been working in the collaborative community since 2009 and completed the 2-year Leadership Academy of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. In 2021 she published a book about co-parenting. She enjoys reading, writing poetry, and sharing time with her husband and dog in her time off.
Mary Owens is grateful for the Collaborative Law process which allows the resolution of family law matters in a healthy and healing manner which resonates with her personal beliefs and values.
Mary is well respected among her peers and is listed in Best Lawyers in America in Family Law, Family Law Mediation and Collaborative Law. She was named one of the Influential Women of Virginia by Virginia Lawyers Media, recognizing women in all fields who are making notable contributions to their chosen professions, their communities and society at large. Mary has achieved Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV® Preeminent rating for legal ability and ethical standards and has been listed in Virginia Business magazine’s “Legal Elite” in the domestic relations category since 2001. She has been selected for “Virginia Super Lawyers” in the family law category since 2006, and for more than ten years, Mary has received the added distinction as one of the “Top 25 Women Virginia Super Lawyers” and one of the “Top 50 Women Virginia Super Lawyers,” which indicates she received one of the highest point totals in the nomination, research and blue ribbon review process. Since 2014, Mary has also been named to the “Top 50 Richmond” and “Top 100 Virginia Super Lawyers.”
Mary is a founding member and former president of the Metro Richmond Family Law Bar, and a past president of the Chesterfield County Bar Association. She has served as an officer and been active in the Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association. She is a frequent lecturer for attorneys in continuing legal education programs on family law and has lectured for the Virginia Apartment Management Association. Mary was recommended by the Virginia State Bar Professionalism Committee and served a three-year term on the Virginia Bar Professionalism Course Faculty from 2006 to 2009. She also served two three-year terms on the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Committee, which oversees and disciplines attorneys on ethics matters.
Mary received her law degree from the T.C. Williams School of Law of the University of Richmond in 1986 and her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech in 1983. When she is not helping her clients, or participating in her women’s book club, Mary can be found traveling, hiking or at the beach.
Sanford Cassel works as both a child specialist and a collaborative coach. He is committed to helping children, adolescents and adults clarify, and remove, impediments to realizing their own dreams and desires. Sanford is also committed to the collaborative goal of helping each family member feel heard and respected, regardless of age or status. He feels this is most effectively accomplished through developing each person’s own effective voice, and through advocating for his/her interests, and the interests of his/her family as a whole, within the collaborative team.
James R. Conner III has been a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 1990 and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) since 2019.
James retired after 25 years of service as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he investigated complex financial crimes and corruption. He has conducted thousands of interviews and testified hundreds of times in a variety of venues.
James approaches his work from an independent point of view and follows the evidence. He provides a superior product (financial reports and testimony) that has proven convincing and unimpeachable over and over again in federal, criminal prosecutions.
James has more recently concentrated his energy on helping couples through divorce. His goal is to help his clients make better informed decisions through an analysis of their finances before, during, and after divorce.
Dr. Gasper is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families of divorce. She specializes in co-parenting counseling, child therapy, and reunification therapy. She also has special interests in working with children experiencing anxiety and trauma disorders. Dr. Gasper received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She received both her Masters of Science and Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Gasper is also trained in the collaborative divorce model, serving as a Child Specialist and Divorce Coach. She is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), Virginia Collaborative Professionals (VaCP), and her local practice group Collaborative Professionals of Richmond (CPR).
Money issues can be a huge source of stress and conflict in marriage—and even more so in divorce. Individuals and couples increasingly are looking for healthier, more cooperative ways to navigate the process. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) with more than 13 years of experience in the financial services industry, I specialize in providing strategic financial advice to clients in the process of divorce. I enjoy educating and empowering clients throughout the divorce process—providing the knowledge and tools to help them make difficult decisions with confidence.
I assist clients in thinking through the short- and long-term real cost of divorce and develop a realistic idea of what their financial situation may look like in the next chapter of their lives. I help them understand personal vs. marital property, how to value and allocate property, options for dividing retirement plans and pensions, and how to navigate spousal and child support. I wish to be a trusted advisor and powerful resource—helping clients in all stages of life build financial plans tailored to their aspirations.
A Richmond-area native, I earned a degree in Psychology at Virginia Tech before channeling my passion for helping others as a licensed Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) and CDFA® with Four Rivers Wealth Management Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. I am an active member of the Financial Planning Association of Central Virginia and the Ameriprise Women’s Empowerment Network and volunteer at the Chesterfield Food Bank. My husband Dan and I share our home with two eccentric rescue dogs, LuLu and Sugar Britches.
Many of life’s challenges require us to work together with empathy and strength. During these times, I can be your Collaborative Coach or Child Specialist, providing support, learning, and growth, so that you are not alone. I have advocated for children and their families for over 30 years, serving as a catalyst for change. I experience my work as a vocation and a blessing, and would be honored to work with you.
Mrs. Hammond received her Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 1990.
Bruce works with clients of all ages specializing in anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorders. Bruce’s work centers around moving beyond emotional pain caused by divorce, death, difficult transitions, and other real life stressors. Her work emphasizes improving school, work, and family relationships at every developmental stage, maximizing each individuals unique strengths and competencies. Bruce provides individual, family, and couple’s therapy as well as parent consultations.
Bruce is trained in the Collaborative Divorce Model, serving as a Divorce Coach and Child Specialist. She is a member of Virginia Collaborative Professionals (VaCP) and Collaborative Professionals of Richmond (CPR).
As well, Bruce works as a consultant to The Steward School, providing emotional assessment, psychoeducation, and support to students, parents, faculty, and administrators.
Bruce incorporates a variety of clinical techniques based on client need, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Strength-Based Therapy, and Existential Theory, working actively and in collaboration with her clients.
Bruce loves spending time with her husband, daughter, extended family, and friends. She also enjoys volunteering in the community in a variety of ways.
During the collaborative process Mary Wilkins Hunt aims to support her clients in being goal oriented and open to possibilities while restructuring their family and focusing on the future.
Mary, a partner at Family Law Associates of Richmond, P.C., was born in Kilmarnock, Virginia. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Virginia Tech in 2001 and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2008. While at the University of Richmond, Mary concentrated on family law classes and was a teaching assistant for the school’s Collaborative law course. Additionally, Mary’s article written for an Advanced Family Law Seminar was published by the Journal of the Law and Public Interest. Mary was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 2009. Mary, her husband, Broaddus and their children live in Richmond’s West End.
Family Law Associates of Richmond
7113 Three Chopt Road, Suite 201, Richmond, Virginia 23226
(804) 270-7156 (Fax)
Rebecca obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2008 and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2011. While at the University of Richmond, Rebecca concentrated on family law classes, earning her family law certificate upon graduation. During her final year at the University of Richmond, she clerked for the Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, which provided her with unique insight into the juvenile court system. Since graduation, she has worked as an associate attorney at a general practice firm, with a focus in family law. She also serves as a Guardian ad litem for minor children in Henrico county. Rebecca, her husband Alex, and her daughter live in the Northside of Richmond. She loves to travel and spend time with her family.
Roberta Keller wants to work with curious people – the people who ask, ‘Why?’ while aligning their money with their values. She is passionate about helping women innovate their money mindset so they can thrive – despite what they’ve been taught by societal norms. Her own vision in business focuses on transparency, integrity, and encouraging purpose-driven living. In addition to her purpose-driven work, Roberta thrives through her passions for Ayurvedic wellness, yoga, nature, enjoys her board service with The Innerwork Center, and as Trustee for the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation.
Donita King is a collaborative practice attorney, arbitrator, certified mediator and authorized trainer (VA Supreme Court, Dispute Resolution). Donita is licensed in Virginia, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. She has substantial experience in the areas of domestic relations (including cross-border family and preventive parental kidnapping) law and mediation, insurance and financial services, personal injury, labor and employment, business, real estate, construction, landlord-tenant, and health law. She speaks Spanish and is a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (‘FINRA’), neutral arbitrator (chair status), and authorized mediator.
When she’s not in the office helping clients, Donita enjoys spending time with her Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers. As an animal lover, she supports the ASPCA and Humane organizations.
Growing up in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic background, Donita enjoys meeting people from other places. She enjoys the performing arts and is a continuous student of ancient civilizations. Additionally, she’s an active member of her church.
Divorce is a huge decision, one that doesn’t happen overnight, or even over several weeks or months. Quite often this decision is reached after years of debate, and sometimes that debate goes on without one’s spouse ever being aware that there is even a problem. But once a spouse finally decides to divorce, it’s unlikely he or she will be willing to change that decision.
Collaborative divorce is an approach that attempts to smooth the divorce process for both spouses and, most importantly, their children – regardless of age.
My goal as a financial neutral is to minimize the cost of divorce as much as possible. I do this by helping both parties understand their finances both pre- and post-divorce. I also help each couple create a financial settlement that both parties can accept now as well as into the foreseeable future.
Area(s) of Practice: Divorce Finance Financial Planning
License(s): CFP®, CDFA®
Undergraduate Education
Lehigh University, BS with honors. Major: Finance
Postgraduate Education
Harvard University, Master of Business Administration. Concentration: Finance
The Collaborative process provides an excellent opportunity to work through challenging issues in an open, honest and respectful way. Parents can do no greater service for their children than to work together at reaching genuine and lasting agreements concerning the welfare of their family. I like how the Collaborative process encourages and supports clients in their efforts to have direct and authentic conversations about their respective futures and the future well-being of their children.
An accomplished Richmond divorce and family lawyer, Chris Macturk has guided hundreds of individuals through separations, divorces and disputes over children and support. A Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), Chris is also past President of both the Henrico County Bar Association and the Metro Richmond Family Law Bar Association. He is an active member of the Domestic Relations Section of the Virginia Bar Association and the City of Richmond Bar Association, having recently served as the chairperson of its Pro Bono Committee. Chris has also participated in many seminars and written a number of articles about family law.
Chris met his wife, Cynthia, while they both attended the University of Richmond. They have three sons and spend much of their time at Tuckahoe Little League – Go, Go Tuckahoe!
Jonathan Murdoch-Kitt has practiced divorce law in the Richmond Metropolitan Area for more than 46 years. He does his best to keep amicable cases amicable. He is committed to the collaborative process and to helping people work through their divorce in a kinder, gentler and more respectful way.
Jonathan earned his BA in 1970 from the University of Pittsburgh and his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1973. He has been practicing in the Richmond area since 1974. He first worked for Legislative Services, where he was discovered by then-Delegate Frank Hall. Jonathan went to work for Hall & Hall for five years before he began his own law practice. He has been practicing law for more than 40 years in personal injury and family law. He currently is a member of the Richmond Bar Association, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Metro Richmond Family Law Bar Association, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Professionals of Richmond. Jonathan was also selected to be a member of Virginia’s Legal Elite for 2015 by Virginia Business. In addition to focusing on his clients, Jonathan serves as Capitol District Chair for the Boy Scouts of America, as a volunteer. He is the father of four successful children and dotes on three adorable grandchildren. He loves traveling to see his children and grandchildren, supporting the Flying Squirrels, and attending college football games.
After working for commercial banks and mortgage lenders, Mary Kathryn decided that she could be a strong advocate for her clients and serve their needs much better in a mortgage brokerage environment. She has been a lender since 1985 and has helped thousands of clients buy homes and investment properties.
Mary Kathryn is a proud Hokie with a degree in Finance from Virginia Tech. She is a native Richmond girl, with brief stints in Jackson, Wyoming and Northern Virginia. When not slaying tax returns and getting the best deal for her mortgage clients, she loves to garden, and have fun with her three rescue pups from her home in the City of Richmond.
MAK Financial was voted Best Lender in Richmond Magazine for 2017, 2018 and 2019.
There is so much pain and frustration associated with ending a marriage or negotiating custodial arrangements. Unfortunately, when you add lawyers and the legal system to the mix, the level of frustration often increases. While separation, divorce, and custody are still hard issues to tackle, if you choose the Collaborative Process, Barbara Picard will work with you as you create the solutions in your case. At the end of the day, you and your partner will be the ones to resolve the issues that need to be resolved – who will create solutions to the problems that now exist – and because of that, it is more likely that you will find it easier to live with those solutions.
She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Sociology from Florida State University in 2002 and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond Law School in 2006. While studying at the University of Richmond, Lisa worked with the Spotsylvania Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, the Chesterfield Commonwealth Attorney and the law firm, Gordon Dodson, Gordon & Rowlett. Upon graduation from Law school, she served as the civil law clerk for the Richmond Circuit Court before entering private practice. She and her husband live in Chesterfield County with their son and two hound dogs.
Theresa Rhinehart has practiced Family Law in Richmond, Virginia for over thirty years. She is a graduate of UNC at Chapel Hill Law School and graduated summa cum laude from UNC-Wilmington. Theresa has been married over thirty years to her husband Michael Marr and they have two beautiful daughters, Jamie & Casey.
Going through a divorce is certainly hard enough – if you have children you have to develop a parenting plan, you may be on an emotional roller coaster, and now you need to figure out how to “divide” your finances. These and other concerns all add to your stress levels. As a CFP®, CDFA®, I have been trained in the fundamentals of divorce and finance which enable me to provide you with a structure and a process to facilitate resolving your financial settlement. As a financial neutral – I value open, honest communication between all parties. It is important that we develop trust and participate as a team throughout the collaborative divorce process.