About Michele McInaney, Attorney at Law

Since 1982, Michele has practiced law with a special emphasis on family law. After enduring her own adversarial divorce and discovering the painful after affects similar proceedings had on her clients, she sought another choice for helping my clients navigate the divorce journey. She now practices in Walnut Creek CA and serves clients in Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

Twenty years ago, Michele trained with Gary Friedman, a recognized leader in the field of Mediation. Shortly thereafter, Michele limited her practice to Mediation, which provided her with specialized tools to help her clients settle disputes in a dignified and respectful manner.

In recent years, she has added the relatively new model of Collaborative Practice. In Collaborative Practice, two lawyers agree to forego going to court. This enables a couple to engage in a four-way discussion to problem solve and create solutions. Like Mediation, Collaborative Practice enables all parties to focus on a sustainable and thoughtful way to restructure a family and set a new direction for healing and hope. In Michele’s mind, Collaborative Practice is a natural extension of Mediation. Both models enable her to provide a measure of peace for divorcing couples, rather than an escalation of conflict. She values both processes because each has its own merit in enabling parties to sit down and discuss often complex and emotionally charged issues in a respectful and productive manner. Both choices offer an affordable way to navigate divorce and save your sanity and your future — without going to court.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Collaborative Practice, CA Member, member
• Collaborative Practice East Bay
• Collaborative Practice Silicon Valley, former member

Training

• Collaborative Practice, CA. Team Efficiency for Understanding the Role of Law in Collaboration
• Collaborative Practice, CA. Communication for Collaborative Professionals
• Collaborative Practice CA. Powerful Non-Defensive Communication
• Collaborative Practice CA. Tax Consequences of Divorce
• Collaborative Practice CA. Narrative Mediation for Collaborative Practice
• Advanced Mediation training at the Center for Law and Mediation (Gary Friedman), Mill Valley, CA
• Judge Pro Tem – Mediation Calendar, Santa Clara County Superior Court

Community Involvement

• Docent at Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek
• Docent, San Jose Museum of Art
• De Anza Commission at De Anza College, Cupertino