Diane J.N. Morin - Profile

Diane Morin is a solo practitioner and her clients deal directly with her. However, she is also assisted by another attorney who has extensive experience in aspects of both family and adoption law. We believe in providing our clients with the highest quality legal services.

Ms. Morin was first employed by the Superior Court of Alameda County (Oakland and Hayward) as a Research Attorney, working for Judges in the Law and Motion, criminal and family law departments. Thereafter she worked in a law firm and practiced in areas of appellate, criminal defense and insurance law. Ms. Morin then was a District Attorney for the County of Santa Clara for three years and thereafter practiced criminal defense. After working for many years for others, Ms. Morin decided to open up my own law practice and have never regretted that decision, as the work has always been both challenging and rewarding.

Philosophy

It is imperative that clients become educated in specific issues concerning family law that are relevant to their circumstances and conflict resolution as quickly as possible. I do everything possible to advice and direct clients to solutions that will assist them so that they can "think out of the box." As our clients are looking for a solution that will benefit them not only in the short run but also for the long term, they must fully understand any agreements proposed and be comfortable with any compromises. All participants in the process of dissolution and conflict resolution need to fully understand what is discussed and their emotional responses so that they feel they have achieved resolution and accomplished their goals.

Issues concerning families and dissolution permeated my experience as a child and gave me empathy for those similarly situated. As a result, I am a lawyer specializing in international issues as well as domestic law, with a firm respect for systems of conflict resolution such as mediation and collaborative law. Having specialized in family law for so long as a litigator, I have seen that Family Court does not have structures for helping families heal and progress towards new healthier systems. The procedures used in Family Court are modified versions of the same procedures used in contract, personal injury law for example. These procedures can polarize people and deepen existing animosities instead of leading to resolution of issues. As a consequence, I continue to search for ways to direct my clients towards positive, creative solutions.

My diverse experience in working for Courts as a research attorney, as a civil litigator, a District Attorney and criminal defense attorney, before concentrating exclusively on family law has made me a far better lawyer. I have had over thirty jury trials and innumerable settlement conferences. Prior to being a lawyer, I grew up in Italy and I believe living in a multi-cultural environment helped me be a better lawyer as I learned the importance of listening intently for the similarities as well as the differences between people.

I am direct, compassionate and energetic. Both my parents and grandparents were divorced, in a country and in a time when divorce was considered a stain. Moreover, I have been a single parent. As a consequence I can easily empathize with my clients. On the other hand, due to my many years of experience and training, I also am trained to keep my personal experience separate from that of my clients so as to help them make decisions for themselves. In this, I am the retained "technician." I have extensive experience in mediation and collaborative law and am committed to its principles. I attempt to settle, if possible, and to collaborate with other helping professionals. Having had extensive experience as a trial attorney has helped me find creative ways to navigate my clients through their anxieties about conflict so that they can be less fearful and more open to finding ways to move forward.