Amherst Mediation Services

We interviewed four prospective mediators before deciding to hire Oran Kaufman. Our divorce mediation was difficult but Mr. Kaufman was both optimistic that we could find solutions and realistic about the facts on the ground. We found Oran to be intelligent, perceptive, and patient with us and he helped us disentangle from some heated and seemingly impossible deadlocks. Though it was never a stated goal of the mediation, my wife and I got through our divorce and we have remained friends - in part because of our clean and orderly mediation process.

Oran was very professional and efficient and helped make my divorce process go as smoothly as can be expected. He provided all of the documentation and paperwork, including a checklist and a script to use at the court appointment if needed, which I particularly appreciated. In addition to being organized and efficient with the paperwork, he did a great job helping us to negotiate our agreement. At one point my ex and I were at an impasse where neither of us would budge on a particular point. Oran told us that we could each hire our own lawyer, and probably spend as much money as we were arguing over, or we could come to an agreement together. We ended up compromising. I consider that moment to be a crucial point in our divorce process. Thank you, Oran.

Oran offers a truly objective, professional, and comfortable service through what can be a very difficult process. His years of experience with the law is evident and he decides it in a way that properly educates his clients. The cost of services is fair and the process as efficient as one would like. I cannot recommend Amherst Mediation Services enough!

Our experience with Oran was a very positive one in what was to us an unknown and somewhat trying situation. Although we had agreed on most things, Oran was able to guide us through questions that we had not thought of and also review what we had agreed on. He was very professional, always including both of us in any communications and made it very clear that he was there to protect and guide each of us individually. The cost was so reasonable compared to what it would have been to each hire separate attorneys. When he had not heard from us in a little while he would email us to see where we were at and if he could help in any way. We have now completed our agreement and have done the filing with the papers he provided. He also gave us very specific instructions on what to do once we were ready to file and what to prepare for in court. I would highly recommend Oran as a mediator to anyone who is contemplating using the mediation process.

Simply put, Oran's experience and expertise made the inevitably difficult process of divorce so much more manageable and forward-moving than it would have been otherwise. Oran offers a wide range of scheduling options; my ex-spouse and I work long hours on differing schedules, and Oran was always able to accommodate us when making appointments. Throughout the process, I was always so grateful for Oran's extensive experience mediating divorcing couples with children, like us; he was able to offer numerous solutions to the various questions and snags that came up and gave us all the information we needed to make the decisions that would work best for our family. He prepared us well for the date of the court hearing, and every legal professional we worked with--from the administrative assistants filing our case, to the on-staff attorney at the Franklin County Justice Center, to the judge who ultimately granted our divorce-- commented on what an excellent job Oran always does writing up separation agreements. I couldn't recommend Oran more highly to anyone seeking a mediation that is thorough, fair, and handled with the utmost in professionalism and care.