New Rochelle, New York, United States– Lisa Boslow Dorman, Esq. has been inducted as a Pinnacle Professional Member into the Continental Who’s Who Registry for her dedication, leadership and achievement in Divorce Mediation, resolving, among other issues, custody and parenting matters. Her motto to her clients is “I will help you get to YES!”
By way of background, Ms. Dorman was selected as a third-year law student to be an intern in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office in Boston, MA. From that experience, she learned that being a prosecutor would advance the ideals she holds dear, pursuit of justice and fairness in public service. Upon passing the NYS Bar Exam, Ms. Dorman was hired by and spent five years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Queens County District Attorney’s Office where she prosecuted misdemeanor and felony charges. The pursuit of justice and fairness in public service was not about convicting every accused person who came into court. Rather, being a prosecutor was about being fair and doing the right thing, which meant fighting hard to secure a conviction in cases where the evidence established the guilt of the accused, and recommending treatment for a 19-year-old drug addict outside of prison.
Ms. Dorman would then serve for 5 years as Counsel to the New York State Welfare Inspector General. She investigated and prosecuted state-funded programs that were paid to provide job training to individuals receiving public assistance but which, instead, falsified records to conceal the lack of training, thereby only profiting themselves.
In 1998, Ms. Dorman turned her focus on children and families. She was appointed by many Family and Supreme Court judges as a “Law Guardian” (now “Attorney for Children”) to represent minors who faced juvenile delinquency petitions for alleged criminal acts, “PINS” petitions for alleged acts showing that the children were beyond the lawful control of their parents and in need of supervision, and, children whose custody was in dispute during contentious divorce proceedings. Ms. Dorman earned her client’s trust by visiting them at their home, school, or at the juvenile detention facilities in which they were being held. In her own words, “once I gained the trust of my young clients, I was able to develop great insight into their issues and help them to accept the path forward that best served their interests. It became my duty to advise them that the court would likely not allow them to return to their unsupervised home environment that may have contributed to the current proceedings, and that placement away from home in a treatment environment that offered psychological, academic and vocational services was in their best interests. I described the placement away from home as a ‘college-like setting’ and often accompanied my clients to see the facilities.”
She adds that, with regard to contentious divorces, “it was important to consider whether the children being weaponized during their parents’ divorce would benefit from counseling? Was one parent having an undue influence on the children that was affecting their relationship with the other parent? Was the home environment at one parent’s home more stable and freer of influence by the other parent. My client’s best interests were paramount, and their interests guided my recommendations.”
Ms. Dorman’s experience representing children would inform her perspective as the Principal Court Attorney to Honorable John P. Colangelo, one of the most highly regarded jurists presiding over matrimonial and family matters in the Supreme Court, Westchester County, for the next 14 ½ years. “With Judge Colangelo’s encouragement and the respect of the matrimonial bar, I brought hundreds of divorce cases to resolution without further litigation. I was and remain committed to helping couples reach fair and amicable agreements that work for all involved, especially the children. The parents I have worked with have learned that divorce does not have to be a battle, but instead, can be a collaborative effort to create a new beginning for everyone involved.”
Shortly after Judge Colangelo retired, Dorman Mediation Service LLC was born! In her own words, “it was and remains my desire to continue to help couples get to YES!! I know the fear and uncertainty of the divorce process. What will the custody arrangement and access schedule look like? Will I have input into decisions affecting my children? What will my financial situation be after the divorce? Will I be able to stay in the house or will I have to move? Will I share my spouses’ retirement accounts? These are just a sampling of concerns that families face.”
In mediation, Ms. Dorman offers an open and transparent exchange of concerns, fears, and information. She is the neutral, impartial third party who facilitates communication between people who have little history of communicating. She describes a mediation session as “a safe space that demands respect for and from all present, frowns upon interruptions, and forces those present to behave respectfully, no exceptions.”
By virtue of her experience as a Principal Court Attorney, Ms. Dorman provides a unique perspective to her current clients. “While I have often said ‘the court will never order that’, I offer creative solutions by focusing on what a court would do in the hope that the clients will consider my realistic solutions. And they often do.”
Ms. Dorman has also undertaken the role of parenting coordinator, selected by matrimonial attorneys and judges to address high-conflict co-parenting relationships after the judgment of divorce has been entered. She is asked to “weigh in” where agreements are ambiguous and confusing, preventing parental disagreement from escalating to intense conflict and toxic stress for the children. She uses her negotiating skills to clarify and resolve areas of disagreement through careful listening, addressing concerns and making recommendations grounded in fairness and experience.
Ms. Dorman received a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University, and graduated New England Law Boston, Magna Cum Laude. Her professional affiliations include membership in the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, New York Association of Collaborative Professionals, New York State Council on Divorce Mediation, Westchester Women’s Bar Association and the Westchester County Bar Association.
Through Ms. Dorman’s thoughtful and consistent presence on LinkedIn, she shares insights that reflect her unwavering dedication to guiding families with compassion and empathy, always placing the well-being of children at the heart of every decision. I invite you to see my LinkedIn page.
Contact Ms. Dorman: lisa@dormanmediationservices.com
Share the post "Lisa Boslow Dorman, Esq – Certified Divorce Mediator and Parent Coordinator"
About Author
