Mary Ann Hess
attorney
Areas of Practice
Family Law
Collaborative Divorce
Mediation
Parenting Coordinator
Education
J.D., Marquette University Law School, 1994
B.S., Arizona State University, 1985
Professional Affiliations
State Bar of Arizona
State Bar of Wisconsin (inactive)
Maricopa County Bar Association
East Valley Bar Association
Judge Pro Tem (Family Law), Maricopa
County Superior Court
Collaborative Divorce Professionals of Arizona
International
Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Association of Family and
Conciliation Courts
Arizona Women Lawyers
Association
Court Admissions
Arizona
U.S. District Court,
District of Arizona
Mediation and Collaborative Divorce
Representing Arizona clients in Mesa,
Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix area, Mary Ann Hess has spent the last 14
years focusing her practice on family law matters and offers special skills in
mediation and
Collaborative Divorce.
She believes in helping parties involved
in a family dispute achieve a fair and reasonable resolution of their issues.
Settlement allows the parties to fully participate in the outcome of their case
without court-imposed limitations; further, settlement generally involves less
time, and the parties spend less money on attorneys' fees.
Ms. Hess takes the approach that all
clients benefit from having the opportunity to determine what is best for their
families, with a minimum of court intervention. She believes that reasonable
efforts must be made to determine if a case is appropriate for alternative
dispute resolution, a process that permits the parties to meaningfully control
the financial and emotional costs of a legal battle. Ms. Hess has extensive
experience in various alternative dispute resolution procedures, including
mediation, settlement conferences, and
Collaborative Divorce.
Because the information needed to settle
a case is generally the same information that is needed to litigate the case,
there is generally no risk of wasted time and effort in helping the parties
resolve their differences out of court, in a cost-effective manner.
Other Family Law Services
If settlement attempts fail or are not
appropriate for a particular case, Ms. Hess will then litigate to protect the
rights of our clients. She has extensive experience in litigating divorce, child
custody, child support and paternity cases. Ms. Hess has also been appointed by the
Court as a Family Law Master to gather evidence and make recommendations to the
judge. |
