Colorado Mediator
Christopher L. Griffith, J.D., M.S.
Joining Larry at Divorce Resolutions® is
Christopher L. Griffith, J.D., M.S.
Chris' Educational &
Professional Background
 Chris draws upon the unique experience
and skills he has gained through years of practice as not only
a family law attorney but also as a marriage and family
therapist.
Chris received his undergraduate degree
at
Wake Forest University (cum laude, with Honors in
Psychology). He then
continued with advanced studies at East
Carolina University, where he obtained
a Master of Science in
Marriage and Family Therapy,
graduating first in his class.
Chris worked as a marriage and family
therapist in North Carolina with a family therapy clinic and
substance abuse treatment center. After that real world
experience assisting many couples and families in therapy,
Chris entered law school at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill in order to combine his background in marriage
and family therapy with the education and training of a
lawyer.
Chris began to forge a vision of his
“life’s
work” as that of assisting divorcing couples in a positive
way that would empower them to have a different type of
divorce experience — one focused on cooperation and their
future, rather than one encumbered by conflict and their
history.
After graduating from law school, Chris
practiced law exclusively as a family and divorce attorney in
both North Carolina and later Atlanta, Georgia. Chris’
domestic law practice included substantial asset divorces as well as
intractable and high conflict custody cases.
While his Atlanta family law practice
involved extensive litigation, Chris also trained and
practiced in the emerging field of Collaborative Family Law,
and received his formal training in divorce and family
mediation. Chris’ years as a divorce attorney provide him
with great experience and substantive expertise in matters of
tax analysis, business valuation and other complex asset
division issues.
As
Professional Colorado
Mediator
Chris is licensed as a
Colorado attorney. Prior to joining Divorce Resolutions®,
Chris Griffith worked as a Colorado divorce mediator with his
own Boulder company, Griffith Mediation.
In addition to participating in the
Colorado attorney, mediator and family professionals’ organizations
mentioned previously, Chris formerly served on the Board
of Directors of the Boulder
chapter of the Colorado Council of Mediators (CCMO), as Secretary and editor of its
membership’s newsletter.
In addition, Chris previously served as
the
Co-Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section
of the Boulder County (Colorado) Bar Association. The ADR section of the Boulder Bar is a group of Colorado
attorneys committed to non-adversarial alternatives to
litigation, including mediation, for out-of-court settlement
of
Colorado divorce, family, neighborhood, community or other civil
issues.
Chris has authored mediation practice
articles for publications including the Boulder County
Bar Association's monthly newsletter. Chris has additionally
taught mediation process and Colorado family law (including
Colorado property division, child support and maintenance
law) to new mediators, with the City of Boulder's Housing
and Human Service Department's Children, Youth and Family
Mediation Program. Chris has presented at workshops for
Colorado divorce professionals, including family law
paralegals.
Chris has participated in a monthly mediation
peer review and consultation group, comprised of other Boulder,
Colorado area mediators assisting families in divorce or
family matters. Chris is a member of the Boulder, Colorado Interdisciplinary Committee on Child
Custody (a consortium of Boulder, Colorado professionals
of various backgrounds concerned with issues involving
children and parental responsibility) as well.
Chris has mediated hundreds of Colorado
families' divorce and family law cases.
Clients’ Experience
Working With Chris
Chris’ clients appreciate the breadth
of his background and skill in using it to lead them to find
workable options to resolve their Colorado divorce or other parenting
issues.
Chris' clients write:
-
“Chris' ability to bring us to an
agreement was an amazing thing! He kept us focused
on the process and the goal, and helped us keep our
emotions out of the financial decisions.” — J.M.
-
“Although we have a very amiable relationship, both my wife and I still felt some trepidation prior to our first meeting with Chris. Any fears or misgivings that we may have had vanished 15 minutes into our first meeting. Chris is the consummate professional. Each session we had with Chris was incredibly productive and yet we never felt harried. Chris took the time to ensure that we were comfortable with all of our decisions.” — R.L.
-
“Chris, you are terrific at what you do and your humanity and professionalism made a difficult experience fun in its own way.” — F.G.
-
“Chris, the Magistrate was very
complimentary of the Plan you wrote, and commented that
he wished more couples were as well prepared — a
testament to your good work! Thank you for your
extremely professional help through this painful
process.” — J.K.
-
“I highly recommend Chris and Divorce Resolution®'s services. Chris brought us through a difficult time, with challenging decisions, and successfully mediated our difficult divorce (following a 20 year marriage). With Chris' help, my former wife and I both feel we divorced well.”
— M.W.
And, another notes regarding the
impressions of her divorce attorney:
From Chris
Chris writes the following about himself
and his approach to mediation:
-
“After spending several years in the ‘trenches’ as a
family law litigator,
and watching couples spend their energy and
resources battling each other (and only to end up with
more distrust and hard feelings), I knew there had to be a
better way. My background in marriage and family therapy
as well as family law naturally led me to the work of
divorce and family mediation.
-
I
know firsthand how my work in mediation offers divorcing
couples strength in a time of crisis and ultimately
affords them dignity and control of their lives. It is a
great privilege to guide clients forward to the future and
through events and times that could have left them stuck
in anger and powerlessness. It is an easy fit for me and
highly rewarding work.”
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