This is a 3-hour interactive workshop co-led by a divorce attorney and a psychologist who specializes in providing a range of services to divorced/divorcing populations. For each topic covered, specific examples will be provided to illustrate ways of resolving the all-too-common conflict between meeting clients’ needs and maintaining protection of clinician risk. Opportunity for participant case-related questions will be provided.

Topics covered:

• Multiple roles of psychologists
• Expectations and needs of attorneys
• Maintaining confidentiality vs. requests for information
• Dealing w/collaterals
• Testifying in court 
• Subpeonas

 

About the Presenters
Sarah Avery-Leaf, Ph.D.

Sarah Avery-Leaf is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in aggression and conflict between dating and married partners. This expertise is applied to a range of services for couples and individuals in conflict, such as conjoint therapy, custody evaluation, marital mediation, and anger management and domestic violence interventions. She also provides supervision and consultation to other mental health professionals, often in the context of a pending licensing board investigation. Workshops and trainings she has led include such topics as group psychotherapy, couples in conflict, psychologically healthy workplace and the prevention of adolescent dating aggression. 

Dr. Avery-Leaf earned a bachelor’s degree in Women Studies from the University of Colorado in 1990 and her master’s and doctorate from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1995 and 1997.  She maintains an independent practice in Portsmouth, and can be reached at (603) 868-5579 or via email at sarahaveryleaf@gmail.com.

Polly Hall, J.D.

Skilled, compassionate, and diverse in her practice, Polly Hall guides her clients through the complicated and often emotional landscape of the New Hampshire and Maine court systems.

As a member of the Wiggin & Nourie, P.A. domestic relations group, Polly provides comprehensive family law representation, including: managing the often difficult aspects of complex divorce, alimony, child support, and parental rights and responsibilities.

An effective litigator, Polly understands the emotions of those who are subject to divorce and how they affect the lives of her clients.

Polly's knowledge of the law and logic allows her to advocate for her client's best interests both in and out of the courtroom.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will gain understanding of how to more effectively work with divorced/divorcing clients.

2. Participants will feel more prepared to manage liability risk, when working with this population.

3. Participants will be able to interface more effectively with divorce attorneys.