Our Vision
We aim to promote a divorce process that is improves communication skills, saves time, respects your privacy, saves money, gives you more control over outcomes, and most importantly, gives you peace of mind.
John C. Susko
Attorney, Collaborative Lawyer
John C. Susko is a Former Board Certified Marital & Family attorney and a Collaborative attorney who believes that family disputes should be resolved in private conference rooms not in a hostile public courtroom environment. His unique perspective on family stems from both his multi-disciplinary education at Washington University in St. Louis where He obtained both a JS [law degree] and a MSW [master in social work]. He has further refined his perspective with over twenty years as attorney and mediator. As a Former Board Certified Marital & Family attorney, John has witnessed the emotional and financial effects that accompany long and drawn out divorce battles can have on families.
This realization led John to form Collaborative Family Law & Mediation, LLC., a Collaborative family law firm dedicated to bringing a more peaceful approach to family law. The Collaborative Process puts a structure in place so that the decisions made by the parties in life’s toughest and hardest moments do not have to be any more difficult than necessary.
John focuses his practice on collaborative family law, mediation and estate planning. He has become a strong proponent of the Collaborative Process and has spearheaded the West Florida Collaborative Law practice group and serves as its first President. He encourages the use of the collaborative model in all types of family law matters, including dissolution of marriage actions, paternity, relocation, child support, prenuptial agreement and post-judgement actions.
John has been interviewed about Collaborative Divorce in the Pensacola News Journal and on the Andrew McNair Radio Show, What Your Money Would Say on WCOA. He also regularly speaks at various civic organizations and Churches regarding the Collaborative Process. He has also lectured on various topics, including both mediation and office technology to both the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar and the Escambia-Santa Bar Associations.
John has also written the following articles: Family Law Attorneys-Don’t Ignore Mediation, Live With It and Improve It published in the Florida Bar Journal and The Life of a Wired Attorney published in the American Journal of Family Law.
Education
- Johns Hopkins University. B.A. in Psychology
- Washington University School of Law, Juris Doctor
- Washington University, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Masters of Social Work
- American Bar Association, Divorce Mediation, 40 Hour Training
- American Arbitration Association, Civil Mediation Training, 40 Hour Training
- Collaborative Training, Collaborative Family Law Group Of Northeast Florida, Inc. 14 Hour Training
- Fourth Annual Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals Conference, 14 Hours
- Collaborative Training, Northwest Florida Collaborative Law Group, 14 Hour Training
- Florida Mediation Training, Family Mediation Certification Training, 45 Hours
- Fifth Annual Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals Conference, 14 Hour
Affiliations & Memberships
- President of the West Florida Collaborative Law practice group
- Member of the Florida Bar Association
- Past Member of the Florida Family Law Executive Council
- Former Board Certified Marital & Family attorney
- Member of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association
- Member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Member of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals