After many years of practicing family law, and having seen the emotional and financial damage that litigation can cause, I have chosen to focus my practice on healthier ways of resolving disputes such as Collaborative Law, mediation, negotiation, and settlement advocacy. While I represent individual clients, I also assist couples as a neutral mediator. I believe that by focusing on constructive settlement solutions, separating couples are much more likely to make mutually beneficial decisions while preserving valuable financial resources. Whether through Collaborative Law, mediation, or standard negotiation, I help my client stay focused on future goals rather than upon the pain of the past. Collaborative Law, in particular, affords a couple the opportunity to make joint decisions which address the unique needs of the whole family with the skill and guidance of non-adversarial collaborative attorneys, and other allied professionals. Reaching a mutually acceptable, durable agreement is a primary goal. I also represent clients in developing prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements.

I was the founding president of the Maryland Collaborative Practice Council, and the first co-chair of the Collaborative Law Section for the Montgomery County Bar Association.

Practice Group Membership
• Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals, Inc.
• DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals

Collaborative Practice Training – Participant
• Basic Collaborative Law Training, 2004 (16 hours)
• Advanced Collaborative Law Training, 2005 (6 hours)
• Advanced Collaborative Law Training, 2007 (8 hours)
• Conflict Resolution Training, 2007 (8 hours)
• Interdisciplinary Collaborative Team Training, 2008 (24 hours)
• Mediation Training, 2008 (40 hours)
• Ethics in Collaborative Practice, 2009 (4 hours)
• Which Collaborative Model is Right for Your Case, 2009 (6 hours)
• Understanding and Managing High-Conflict People, 2010 (6 hours)
• The Collaborative End Game, 2010 (6 hours)
• Unique Approaches in Collaborative Divorce, 2012 (6 hours)
• Civil and Commercial Collaborative Law, 2012 (6 hours)
• Finding Money Harmony in Collaborative Divorce, 2014 (6 hours)
• New Research Into Neuroscience of Conflict and Negotiation, 2016 (6 hours)

Collaborative Practice Training – Presenter
• Defining Advocacy in Collaborative Practice, IACP Forum
• Defining Advocacy in Collaborative Practice, University of Maryland School of Law
• Defining Advocacy in Collaborative Practice, Frederick County Bar Association
• The Intersection of Collaboration, Mediation and Arbitration, Montgomery County
Divorce Roundtable Symposium
• Creative Support Solutions, Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable Symposium
• Civil and Commercial Applications in Collaborative Law, Montgomery County Bar
Association
• Roadmap To A Non-Litigation Practice, Frederick County Bar Association

Darcy Shoop

Contact Information