Darcy Shoop
District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia
After many years of practicing family law, and having seen the emotional and financial damage that litigation can cause, I have chosen to focus my practice on healthier ways of resolving disputes such as Collaborative Law, mediation, negotiation, and settlement advocacy. While I represent individual clients, I also assist couples as a neutral mediator. I believe that by focusing on constructive settlement solutions, separating couples are much more likely to make mutually beneficial decisions while preserving valuable financial resources. Whether through Collaborative Law, mediation, or standard negotiation, I help my client stay focused on future goals rather than upon the pain of the past. Collaborative Law, in particular, affords couples the opportunity to make joint decisions which address the unique needs of their family with the skill and guidance of non-adversarial collaborative attorneys, and other allied professionals. I also represent clients in developing prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements. I am the Founding president of the Maryland Collaborative Practice Council and was the first Co-Chair of the Collaborative Law Section of the Montgomery County Bar Association.