Richard Reade

“My goal is to help families move forward so everyone can be in the best situation possible.”

Richard Reade focused on litigation and trial practice when he was in law school, and he litigated with great success in several different areas of law for many years before he turned his talents to family law. He immediately found the practice of family law much more rewarding.

“I can help resolve conflict in families that affects a group of people, including children,” he explains. The chance to have that beneficial impact on families is what makes the practice so satisfying for Richard.

Although he puts extensive litigation experience to work for his clients, his goal is to resolve conflicts without litigation. Finding solutions through mediation or collaborative processes serves clients in three ways: it prevents families from enduring unnecessary emotional distress, it provides them with more control over the outcome, and it keeps the costs of the process as low as possible. Resolving conflict in this manner also reduces the likelihood of future disagreements or litigation.

Richard’s current practice focuses upon mediation and dispute resolution to avoid litigation. “The best solutions to even the fiercest disputes are those that come from the parties themselves through meaningful discussion. Answers are found by the exchange of interests and goals – not from presenting evidence and legal arguments to a Court.” As a neutral, he focuses on helping people through family transitions by reaching agreements in all familial situations, including divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support or alimony, complex property division, and business and property valuations. Although he has decades of experience succeeding in litigation, he is also a Certified Mediator and practices collaborative law, and is an active member of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators, the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, and the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council. This range of experience positions him well to counsel clients on their best options for resolving conflict.

A Massachusetts native, Richard earned his B.A. in English literature from Boston College before moving to the opposite coast to study law at Pepperdine University School of Law in California. After receiving his J.D., he opened a solo practice and litigated a wide array of legal matters related to civil litigation, including personal injury, medical malpractice, and civil rights. When he returned to Massachusetts in 2009, he elected to focus solely on family law issues, and has pursued the field enthusiastically ever since.

Bar Admissions

• Massachusetts, 2008
• California, 2000
• U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts, 2008
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2008
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 2008
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 2008
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 2008

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Essex County Bar Association (ECBA)
• Academy of Professional Family Mediators
• Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation
• Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council
• Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College (TLC)