Oran Kaufman

Attorney Kaufman has been practicing family law since 1989 when he joined Burres Fidnick and Booth. He became a partner at what then became Burres Fidnick Booth and Kaufman in 1996. In 1994, attorney Kaufman founded Amherst Mediation Services. His decision to offer mediation as an alternative to the traditional litigation system stemmed from his years of experience in the Probate and Family Court and in particular his concern that in many ways the court system was not the most efficient and best equipped system for handling family crises such as divorce. Mediation offers participants more control over their own destiny and works to increase rather than discourage communication. Mediation is also far cheaper and often far quicker than traditional litigation.

In his ongoing effort to provide his clients with the widest range possible of solutions that meet their needs, in 2004 Attorney Kaufman began offering Collaborative Law as yet another alternative approach to resolving divorces and other domestic relations issues.

Attorney Kaufman has been actively involved in promoting and teaching mediation. He is former President of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation (MCFM) and is a certified mediator with MCFM (see www.mcfm.org). He has achieved Advanced Practitioner level with the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) and the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM). In addition to his law and mediation practice he also co-founded ConflictWorks which provides conflict resolution training for organizations and businesses.

Attorney Kaufman has taught numerous continuing legal education seminars on topics involving family law and has been involved in many family law related committees. Since its creation, he has been on the steering committee of Parents and Children in Transition, an approved parent education program in Northampton, MA and the pilot program for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is currently also on the steering committee for Families in Transition (FTC) and Only One Childhood (O1C) and a co facilitator of the O1C class.He was on a panel to create legislation for Parenting Coordinators and assisted in setting up a conciliation program in the Hampshire County Probate and Family Court.

Attorney Kaufman is currently an adjunct professor at Western New England University School of Law where he manages and teaches a yearly Divorce Mediation clinic in conjunction with the Hampden Probate and Family Court. He previously taught a Divorce Mediation course at Western New England University School of Law.

• Certified mediator with MCFM (see www.mcfm.org).
• Advanced Practitioner level with the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR)
• Advanced Practitioner level with the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM)