Experience
Barbara has more than 40 years of legal experience in assisting clients through the divorcing process including financial and business issues, custody and necessary support. Since no two cases are alike, she believes the approach to each case should be tailored to the individual needs, goals and personalities of each client and family. Barbara is a strong advocate for a more collaborative approach including Mediation and Collaborative Law which can reduce emotional and financial costs for the client. If, however, litigation becomes necessary and appropriate, Barbara is a skilled and aggressive courtroom advocate to help protect the clients and their children.
By staying focused on the client’s needs and goals, Barbara assists her clients in reaching a resolution by navigating through the stressful situation of divorce through actively listening and creating a careful strategic plan. By keeping the clients informed and involved throughout the process, she reduces uncertainty and guides the client and their families to move forward into the next phase of their lives.
Barbara has been recognized for her leadership in the Northeast Ohio legal community having been elected to be the 2011-2012 President of the over 5,000 member Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and an inductee into the Cleveland Marshall College of Law Hall of Fame.
Civic and Professional Involvement
- Certified Domestic Relations Mediator
- President of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA), (2011-12)
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Professionalism Panel and CMBA Sections & Committees Oversight Committee
- Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Director (2016-2022); Vice President (2020-2021); and Chair, Pro Bono Committee
- Founding and current member of the Cleveland Academy of Collaborative Professionals (CACP)
- Served on the Ursuline College Legal Advisory Board (2004-2022)
- Serves as Board Member on non-profit Play 2 Learn
- Trustee of the former Cuyahoga County Bar Association; Chair, Family Law Committee; and member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
- Served on the Steering Committee for the unification of the Cuyahoga County Bar Association and Cleveland Bar Association
- The Center for Principled Family Advocacy (CPFA), former Trustee and member of the CPFA’s Cleveland Collaborative Practice Group and Mediation Practice Group
- Served on Advisory Council on Diversity Initiatives, Ohio State Bar Association
- Served on Domestic Relations Task Force of the Ohio Supreme Court (2014)
Accomplishments
- Cleveland Marshall College of Law Hall of Fame Inductee (2020)
- Ohio Super Lawyers, 2012 – 2024
- Top 50 Women Lawyers in Ohio (2019)
- Top 25 Women Lawyers in Cleveland (2019)
- Brush High School Wall of Achievement Inductee (2022)
- Crain’s Women of Note (2011)
- Former Managing Attorney of a national legal service plan
- Assistant Ohio Attorney General and Assistant Chief of the Consumer Protection Division; drafted Ohio consumer protection legislation
Bar Admissions
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio
- All Ohio state courts
Education
- The Ohio State University (B.A., 1971)
- Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (J.D., 1977)
Videos
Surviving Divorce: A Pathway to Health and Well-being