Massachusetts Chapter  

Cultural Issues in the Probate and Family Court

APRIL 21, 2009
The Massachusetts Chapter of the AFCC and the Probate and Family Court Department sponsored a roundtable discussion on "Cultural Issues in the Probate and Family Court" on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the Hampshire Probate and Family Court in Northampton.
This was the first of a series of roundtable discussions on this topic scheduled throughout Massachusetts. Others will take place in Norfolk and Essex Counties. 
(L to R) Hon. Geoffrey A. Wilson,  Marianne Zurn, Esq., Hon. Linda S. Fidnick, Hon. Gail L. Perlman,
Beth A. Crawford, Esq. President Mass Chapter AFCC,
Kathleen Townsend, Esq.

The panel included Hon. Gail L. Perlman, First Justice Hampshire Division; Hon. Linda S. Fidnick, Associate Justice Hampshire Division; Hon. Geoffrey A. Wilson, First Justice Franklin Division, Marianne Zurn, Esq., Zurn, Sharp & Heyman; Wendy Berg, Esq., Western Mass Legal Services. Kathleen Townsend, Esq. was the moderator.

Court personnel and members of the bar attended this program. The lively discussion included tips for best practices for attorneys representing clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, negotiation tools and views from the bench.

These programs are a follow up to the April 3, 2009 conference "Our Melting Pot: Practical Implications of Cultural Differences in Juvenile and Family Court" which was co-sponsored by Massachusetts Chapter of the AFCC and the University of Massachusetts Medical School Department of Psychiatry, Child and Forensic Center.