Because of his experience as a mediator, collaborative lawyer and family court magistrate Richard has created a unique practice based on creative problem-solving. This process underlies the mediation and collaborative approaches and is the basis for any principled negotiation.

In mediation a practitioner facilitates a conversation between the parties; in collaborative law each party has their own lawyer but all participants in the negotiations are committed to resolving marital issues without litigation. Even in litigated cases, however, a problem-solving lawyer can bring a cooperative approach to negaotiations and reduce the level of conflict typical of an adversarial divorce. Conflicts in all of the different areas of matrimonial law and family law, including custody and visitation, child support, equitable distribution and spousal maintenance can be resolved in a more amicable manner using a problem-solving approach.

The reader will recognise that Richard's approach to matrimonial law practice will likely be different from the conventional approach. For example, because of his long experience as court magistrate many attorneys refer difficult cases to him for mediation or arbitration. Because of his commitment to protecting children in divorcing families, he teaches a part of a nine hour parent education program and encourages all of his clients to attend.

Barbara Strauss, Richard's office mate, is widely regarded as one of the top matrimonial litigators in the Hudson Valley region. Barbara and Richard often consult together on a case to combine their expertise and decide the best course of action based on your individual needs.

Richard not only practices mediation and collaborative law, but also trains lawyers and other professionals. He co-authored the original training materials for custody visitation mediators and parent education in New York state. Most recently, he has trained collaborative professionals as part of the Mid-Hudson Collaborative Training Group.