Chuck Amital

About Chuck

Chuck Amital is both a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a licensed California attorney, with a mediation practice that focuses on providing the following services:

• Divorce coaching in the Collaborative Divorce process
• Child specialist serving as the voice of the child in the Collaborative Divorce process
• Parenting plan (custody and visitation) mediation with separated and divorced parents
• Consultation to prepare individual parents to participate more effectively in mediation at Family Court Services and other evaluative processes

For 14 years, Chuck served as a recommending mediator at Family Court Services (FCS) in San Mateo County. He conducted over 2300 parenting plan mediation sessions, helping separated and divorced parents from a variety of cultural backgrounds reach agreements to facilitate as smooth a transition as possible for their children during a tumultuous time in their family’s life. During his last four years at FCS, he was the Senior/Supervising Child Custody Recommending Counselor, providing consultation and supervision for mediation staff, while continuing to mediate cases. He also taught newly hired FCS mediators from around the state at the yearly New Court Professionals training under the auspices of the Judicial Council of California.

As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist formerly in private practice, Chuck has experience working with multicultural adults, couples, families, and youth on a variety of issues. Although mediation is not therapy, Chuck’s experience as a psychotherapist informs his work as a mediator, as he is able to attune more deeply to the emotions that underlie peoples’ positions and concerns. This enables him able to assist parties in communicating with one another more productively so that they can reach agreements. People sometimes experience mediation as therapeutic because they are able to express themselves to, and be understood by, one another.

Chuck was admitted to the California Bar in 2012. As a licensed attorney, he is able to provide parties with information about the law so that they can understand how the law might apply to their situation. As a mediator, however, he does not represent parties or provide them with legal advice.

Chuck has been a member of Collaborative Practice of San Mateo County since 2015. He enjoys supporting clients as they go through the Collaborative Divorce process by helping them to manage the inevitable emotions that divorcing people experience and to communicate their desires and concerns more effectively with one another. Chuck is especially passionate around helping parents develop a cooperative co-parenting relationship. Chuck also enjoys working together as part of the professional Collaborative team, to help parties craft a settlement that works for each of them, and for their children.

Chuck’s style as a mediator is a blend of facilitative, directive, and transformative. He is compassionate and supportive, and leaves no stone unturned in his efforts to assist people in reaching agreements. He enjoys helping parties navigate the challenges and conflicts inherent in the separation and divorce process, in a manner that preserves the dignity of the participants and the integrity of the relationships among the family members.