Testimonials for Colin Family Mediation Group LLC

♦ Renee did an excellent job during our mediation sessions and is a total professional. The sessions were difficult at times and Renee was a steadying and stable force throughout. Great communication overall as well. — R.M.

♦ Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your involvement, patience, optimism and guidance in this process, which is perhaps the toughest period of my life. I would have gone nuts without a mediator like you. – J.G.

♦ Angela helped us to stay calm and facilitated our discourse. – Emily

♦ Virginia was very helpful and understanding. – Kidist B.

♦ My experience with Virginia was informative and professional. It’s clear she not only has the knowledge but genuinely cares about her work and her clients. She made herself available on weekends and in the evenings if my schedule needed that. The sense of support I felt as a result of just being informed and guided is very much appreciated, especially during a challenging time. – Sharon B.

♦ Virginia was one of the mediation instructors at Woody Mosten’s intensive 40 hour divorce mediation course last month and it was my absolute pleasure to meet her there. Virginia is a wonderful teacher who knows how to lead by example, moving her students forward by modeling effective mediation techniques. Virginia’s understated and compassionate affect encourages her students to ask questions and to express themselves freely and openly. I was also impressed with Virginia’s solid research background and understanding of the psychological underpinnings of attachment in families. – Anat Sideman-Schneider, J.D., MA.

Excellence Award for Colin Family Mediation Group LLC

♦ I reached out to the Colin Family Mediation Group via e-mail initially as I wasn’t sure how to approach my current situation. Dr. Colin and I spoke shortly after and I explained to her my issue. She took the time to thoroughly listen and offered her professional advice. Even though she is not our mediator, I was completely impressed at her willingness to simply just help a stranger out — a very rare quality! I don’t know what the outcome might be but after talking to Dr. Colin, I have a better idea of the different routes I can pursue. I sincerely appreciate her taking the time to discuss this with me and very thankful for sharing her expertise. – Alethea Duhon

♦ Virginia was very helpful with working through a separation and divorce and not having to use a lawyer. She provided us with all the necessary tools to agree on our terms and file our own paperwork. – Lauren R

♦ My ex Husband and I used Colin Family Mediation Group, and it was the best decision we could have made in a very emotional and financially draining process. I don’t think divorce is ever easy, but Rick and Ellice certainly saved us from what was looking like a complete nightmare.
We were on a hamster wheel of disagreements and back and forth, each one with the hefty price tag of our lawyers. I was skeptical that anyone could help us get to a point where we could agree on anything. Rick and Ellice were both such a blessing. They worked well as a team to keep us on topic, remain objective, help unscramble the emotions and get to the bottom of what needed to be sorted out. They worked really well as a team and made me feel like I was being heard- finally! They also had a lot of knowledge in regards to the law, and what was actually fair.
In the end, we were able to avoid both of the trials that were set, and comet our own, non-traditional agreement that we felt worked best for us, and kept the best interest of our children at heart. We had a total of 4 sessions with them, it was a fraction of the cost of legal fees, and when we finally signed our agreement, it was like a weight of 1000lbs was lifted from both of us. I am very thankful for the experience. – Melissa S.

♦ I contacted the office yesterday and talked with Virginia Colin and gave her a quick synopsis of my family situation–that my husband and I wanted a divorce but we decided mediation was the smartest way to avoid the high cost of lawyer fees. She said she would call me back the next day as she was going into a meeting. Virginia called me back the very next morning and gave me 45 minutes of her time chatting about my marriage, giving me advice and telling me what the next steps I should take before coming into her office for mediating the divorce, spousal support and child support. I can not thank her enough to make me feel supported and taking a load of anxiety off of my chest from that one phone call. She is a genuine person who really wants to help couples and I feel she is 100% trustworthy to do what is best for the family. I will use her services once my husband and I can come up with a plan on what our lives will look like in 6 months. Which is another suggestion she recommended to come to her with a plan that we can agree on and then we can finalize how the legal documents will work. This is a huge financial time saver to come prepared!!
I highly recommend reading Virginia Colin’s book The Guide to a Low-Cost Divorce in Virginia as well–this is how I learned about the mediation route and how her group is one of the best to go to in Northern Virginia. – Heather D.

♦ My wife and I were extremely pleased with our experience. Rick was great! – Steve

♦ Virginia Colin was an excellent choice for our mediator. She was a true professional who took the time to understand our divorce situation and draft up a settlement. We saved thousands of dollars in expensive lawyer fees by using her. Whenever the mediation became tense, she immediately knew how to diffuse the situation. Her strengths are her objectivity, her calm demeanor and her listening skills. After about 10-12 hours of mediation (we had two children, lots of investments/pensions, two cars and a house!), we were able to come up with a settlement that worked for both of us. She’s the best! – Adam L

♦ I have been beyond impressed by the professionalism of our mediators. They are fair, listen to both parties, and are flexible regarding meeting times. – Beth O.

♦ Dorothy was terrific! She produced very relevant preparatory questions for the four of us [adult siblings] in advance of the session, and during our 3.5 hours she was balanced, thoughtful, insightful and appropriately assertive when she needed to be! We do not believe there was anything she could have done better! Dorothy’s professionalism and calm were a true asset, especially in light of the fact that two of the four of us were quite ambivalent about the role of a mediator! – Carli

♦ Dr. Colin truly is a consummate professional with the diligence and perseverance to take the most challenging disagreements and turn them into a solution that suits all parties well. My highest recommendations for anyone contemplating the court system. Dr Colin possesses extraordinary interpersonal skills coupled with deep wisdom in domestic issues, that has far reaching positive impacts on those most affected- our children’s well-being. – Oscar Marin, APO

♦ Ms. Colin, excellent work on our case, and I hope other families as us can have the same opportunity to have you as a mediator before reaching the court. My best wishes and my gratitude to you…. Thank you so much.. – Nelida Rojas

♦ I am pleased with the agreement and its contents. I thank you so much for all your patience and kindness through this process. — Alexis De Leon, Woodbridge, VA

♦ I didn’t think it would go well but it actually went pretty good. – Cindy (working with Dorothy Douglas Taft)

♦ She (Dorothy Douglas Taft) took her time to hear what we had to say. She made us see eye to eye and what’s best for our child. — Anonymous

♦ Virginia, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your support, guidance, and assistance. I spoke to my daughter about the outcome and she is extremely relieved. Although it is sad in a way, my daughter can finally be the happy 9 year old she deserves to be and not have the extra stress and sadness that was being imposed upon her these last 5 years. You have helped me make a huge difference in her life. – Krystal Thomas

♦ The work Dr. Colin did for my wife and me was great. With our separation and property settlement plan all worked out and written down, getting our divorce was easy. – Chris Carpenter

♦ I enjoyed the small amount of time I had working with you. I thank you for your efforts and in fact being a mediator as far as keeping the order as peaceful as possible. I appreciated you giving me advice on my relationship and my son’s relationship with his father. – Dana Gray

♦ My name is Nigel and I called them with the intent of just getting a time slot. Instead I was blessed with more than I could have ever hoped for in that one conversation. Although I was and am still going down that same deep dark path with my wife, just that one call aided me more than the wonder woman on the other side of the phone will ever know. That’s just a phone call. I could imagine what a session could do. THANK YOU TRULY – Nigel W.

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To schedule a free consultation, please fill out this form or call us at 571-431-9159.

Mediation services are available in Springfield, Fairfax, Alexandria, elsewhere in Virginia, and by Zoom.