Jennifer Leigh Rankin, LLC

Attorney Rankin is uniquely positioned to help clients find resolution to their divorce and separation disputes through alternative dispute resolution. Attorney Rankin can walk you through the entire process: 

• Initial consultation: Attorney Rankin will meet with you, discuss your situation and your goals, and help you prepare for the process ahead. 
  
• Initial conference with the court: When a divorce is filed with the Court, the first official step is to meet with the Court. When the partners plan to start with mediation or other alternative dispute resolution process, this step is generally quite simple. 
  
• Mediation: With training in property division and child custody mediation, collaborative divorce and parenting coordination, as well as an educational background in psychology and social work, Attorney Rankin is uniquely positioned to help you resolve your family law conflicts amicably and effectively. 
  
• Litigation: Although the preference is to handle issues through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods, Jennifer Leigh Rankin, LLC, can protect your interests aggressively in court, as well.  
  
• Final hearing with the court: After the terms of child custody, division of assets and other essential issues are settled, the agreement must be presented to the court for approval. Attorney Rankin has the knowledge and experience to make sure the agreement will be acceptable in the eyes of the court. 

When two spouses or partners are divorcing or separating, a variety of issues need to be resolved. The couple can avoid discussion and fight these issues out in a contentious courtroom battle, or they can work together to find reasonable solutions in a more amicable process. 
At the law firm of Jennifer Leigh Rankin, LLC, Attorney Rankin believes that most clients will benefit tremendously by working together to find solutions in settlement negotiations rather than through litigation.  With a background in psychology and social work before opening her legal practice, Attorney Rankin is uniquely positioned to help clients through the emotional challenges of family law disputes to come to equitable, amicable resolutions. 

In Maryland, most divorce and separation matters have to go through some form of mediation before the litigation process can be completed. Except for the most contentious divorces and separation situations, it is much simpler, more cost-effective and efficient for clients to settle their disputes outside of the courtroom before the litigation process even begins. 
"If you are in a marriage, cohabitation, domestic partnership or other relationship that you know is coming to an end, call me right away. By getting an experienced lawyer involved as soon as possible, we can work to find solutions before getting into a courtroom battle. This saves tremendous amounts of stress and cost while protecting children from having to see their parents battle it out in the courtroom. With my mediation and collaborative law training, I can help you and your spouse or partner see through your emotional difficulties to come to resolution on the key issues." In the process of mediation, both parties can meet with Ms. Rankin, as the neutral mediator.   Ms. Rankin will help you establish an agenda for the negotiations and facilitate the agreement. She will walk you through every step of the ADR process and help you establish an arrangement that will work for you and then be incorporated by the court in an order, if necessary.