Hon. Helaine L. Berger, (Ret.) will be participating in a family law judges panel discussion at the 4th Annual Illinois Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) chapter conference November 17th.

The conference is titled “Parenting Plans and Shared Custody: Recent Research and Implications for Family Law Professionals.”

Judge Berger’s panel will be exploring to what extent their decisions as jurists are impacted by research findings and other factors. Topics will include co-parenting, infant attachment, older siblings’ roles in child household transitions and many others. The panel will be from 3:00-4:30pm.

In addition to Judge Berger’s panel, the conference will cover the current research on parenting plans, and review the clinical and legal implications. Another panel of judges will discuss their experiences with income shares.

“I want to be actively engaged in learning the latest research in family conflict resolution,” Judge Berger said. “My goal as a judge, and now as a mediator, is to assist parents in doing what is in the best interest of the children.”

The conference brings together family law professionals from a variety of backgrounds, including attorneys, judges, mediators, psychologists, academics, social workers and financial planners. It will be held from 8:30am-5:00pm on the 12th Floor of 161 North Clark Street. Approval is pending for 6.25 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit for attorneys.

Judge Berger is a senior mediator and arbitrator at ADR Systems. Before coming to ADR Systems, she served for 19 years as a judge in the Cook County Circuit Court’s Domestic Relations Division and the Child Protection and Juvenile Justice Department. Her high settlement rate is a testament to her innate ability to very quickly relate to people personally, even in the most difficult and emotionally charged situations. She is patient, kind and genuinely cares about the best interest of all parties – especially the children. She is committed to financial fairness and applies her ingenuity and years of experience to guide the parties to resolution.

To view Judge Berger’s full bio, click here.

To check Judge Berger’s availability, click here.

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