About Magistrate Sullivan
As a retired District Court Magistrate Judge with over two decades of experience as the neutral decision maker on the bench, Evelyn Sullivan can help you resolve conflicts in cases involving your family. This includes situations such as Probate Estate disputes, Elder Care disputes, Legal Separation or Dissolution of Marriage or Civil Union, Legal Separation, Allocation or Modification of Parental Responsibilities, Paternity, Child Support and Step Parent Adoption matters.
Magistrate Judge Sullivan has too often seen that taking these disputes to the courts for resolution simply increases the conflict and leaves individuals trying to piece together ways to follow court orders. She believes in Mediation because that is where you can find ways to resolve your disputes in a creative fashion that will meet the individual and personal needs of your situation. She is not only well versed in the Law, but she is knowledgable about the resources available to families in the Colorado Springs community. Most importantly, retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan understands the personal nature of family cases and welcomes the opportunity to help you find the solutions that best reflect your lifestyle and daily needs. Upon her retirement from the bench, Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan started the Child Smart Mediation Program where children of separating and or divorcing parents can have meaningful input into the parenting arrangement decisions. Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan, after years of presiding over matters involving children, became convinced that children are the most affected individuals of a separation or divorce, yet their voices are often overlooked by the judicial officer making the decision. This situation is inherent within the structure of the law in Colorado, and unless parents can afford the approximate $3,000.00 to $10,000.00 cost for a Child and Family Investigator or a Parental Responsibilities Evaluator, the children's voices are typically not effectively brought into the court proceedings. A graduate of The University of Colorado School of Law, Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan began her legal career as a Law Clerk in the El Paso County District Court, and has been committed to finding non adversarial and multi-disciplinary solutions to the legal problems facing families since that early experience. Often times, litigation through the court process is impersonal and mystifying and only makes matters worse for families. By choosing the path of mediation over litigation, personal and individual solutions can be found that will meet the needs of the family in a dignified and respectful setting. Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan was appointed as a founding member of Chief Justice Malarkey's Court Improvement Committee. The committee focused on improving the outcomes for families involved in the judicial system, particularly though non-adversarial initiatives such as Mediation and other Alternative Dispute Resolution methods. Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan served for over 15 years creating governing policy, judicial education programs and bringing new programs to Colorado's courts that helped families and children. She received two Supreme Court awards for those efforts. With a firm belief that education is the basis for making better decisions, Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan dedicated much of her time developing Judicial Education Programs. Since 1998 Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan has written curriculum used to train Judicial Officers in the area of Family law, Child Development and the Impact of Trauma on the Developing Brain, Child Smart Mediation: Hearing the Child's Voice, and has presented training programs for Judges and Lawyers throughout Colorado, on a National and International level. In 2012, Retired Magistrate Sullivan completed the 40 Hour Mediation Training and started using Mediation in her work while on the bench. She is well versed and familiar with innovative Mediation initiatives, and is committed to developing resources in our community that promote the non-adversarial resolution of family cases in a manner that promotes the healthy reorganization of separating and divorcing families and allows families caring for their elderly members in a dignified and collaborative fashion. Please contact Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan for more information if you are interested in learning more about these initiatives or in scheduling a Mediation, Arbitration, Settlement Conferences, or Med/Arb. Retired Magistrate Judge Sullivan is happy to sit down with your family to discuss ways to help you. If you are interested in the Child Smart Mediation Program, please call the office at 719-439-5104 to register for one of our Orientation presentations so you can decide of this type of mediation will work for your family. Retired Magistrate Judge Evelyn H. Sullivan is fluent in Spanish. |
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