Biography

Richard Dodd is a collaborative family lawyer, mediator and litigator representing clients in Montgomery County, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. His practice encompasses divorce, child custody and support, alimony, marital assets allocation, and pre- and post-marital agreements. Mindful to minimize the cost and acrimony of conventional divorce and custody litigation, in his roles as mediator or collaborative attorney he facilitates clients’ direct negotiation of mutually beneficial settlement agreements through mediation or collaborative meetings, rather than litigation.

Mr. Dodd brings skillful and nuanced issue framing, negotiation and mediation skills to collaborative law, earned over 25 years as litigation counsel to individuals and small companies, and as in-house counsel to several major companies. Since completing foundational and advanced training in collaborative law he has counseled and coached clients through collaborative negotiations involving contested child custody and co‑parenting plans, marital property distribution, alimony and child support, and drafting divorce settlement agreements flexible to meet the separated family’s evolving needs. He also brings his personal mindfulness practice to anchor his presence with empathy in client interactions, and coaches clients to self-monitor reactivity in sometimes stressful situations.

Mr. Dodd’s commitment to family law includes representation of family law clients referred by the Montgomery Bar Foundation, the Collaborative Project of Maryland and as a Guardian Ad Litem in the District of Columbia Superior Court in the on a reduced-fee or pro bono basis. He also regularly volunteers assistance to self-represented persons seeking guidance at the Montgomery County Family Law Self‑Help Center and the District of Columbia Superior Court Family Self-Help Center. He is also a panelist for the District of Columbia Bar Association’s Attorney/Client Arbitration Board.

Contact Information

Biography