Mara Bernstein is Of Counsel to Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein, practicing Matrimonial and Family Law in both the firm’s Florida and New York offices. Mara’s practice focuses exclusively on private divorce, the negotiation and drafting of Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements, divorce consulting, pre-divorce divorce strategic planning and consulting.

Mara began her career in 1988 as a divorce litigation attorney with a preeminent New York City divorce law firm, representing clients in high-asset divorce and child custody matters after attaining her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her law degree from Brooklyn Law School.

After years of witnessing the emotional and financial toll divorce litigation took on many of her clients and their families, Mara now provides her clients with private, productive, and efficient out of court alternatives to divorce litigation, which can be expensive and lengthy.

Mara understands that divorce and family law matters are not “one size fits all.” For this reason, Mara assesses her clients’ needs, objectives, and goals and clearly lays out a strategy and legal approach designed to create the best results possible while minimizing the negative impacts of divorce. In addition to her years as a seasoned divorce litigator, Mara is an Accredited Collaborative Divorce attorney, member of The Elite Collaborative Divorce Training team, and a Florida Supreme Court Certified divorce mediator. She is also a guardian ad litem representing the rights of children in high-conflict divorce cases.

Her clients describe her as “very accessible,” and an “advocate who gets results without unnecessary fees and drama.” Opposing counsel describe Mara as “respected and unwavering and relentless in pursuit of her clients’ interests”.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

EDUCATION

• Cornell University, B.A.
• Brooklyn Law School, J.D.

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE LAW

• New York
• Florida

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• The Florida Bar, Family Law Section
• The New York State Bar, Family Law Section
• South Palm Beach County Bar Association, Family law Section
• Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
• Broward County Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution section, Family Law Section

Awards and presentations

• Elite Collaborative Training Group: Principal and Trainer
• Palm Beach County Community Impact Advocacy Award
• “Before the Split: Pre-Divorce Tips for a Smoother Divorce”: A Better Divorce Podcast
• Palm Beach Illustrated Top lawyers 2024
• Boca Raton Observer Top Lawyers 2024, 2023, 2022
• “Divorcing Different”: Find the Money Podcast
• “Navigating Divorce”: Food for Thought Podcast
• “Everything you Need to Know About Divorce and Children” : Fresh Story Podcast
• “Divorce Is Difficult. It Doesn’t Have to Be Devastating”: Unpolished Therapy Podcast
• Mental Health and Divorce Law: South Palm Beach County Bar Association
• Faulk Center for Counseling: Collaborative Law Seminar
• Florida Psychological Association: Continuing Education, Options in Divorce
• Florida Paralegals Association: Continuing Education, Collaborative Divorce Law
• South Palm Beach County Collaborative Law Professionals: “Collaborative Practice and the Law”