2021 Master Classes for Mediators

(Held Virtually using ZOOM platform until further notice)


Two Master Classes are Currently Being Offered 


The Many Meanings of Money

Advanced Property Mediation: A Workshop

Mediating Those Issues of Higher Asset Individuals

(Offered in person, TBA.  Details to Follow)

and


Building Your Professional Practice

A Workshop on How to Start Your Practice or Take Your Practice to the Next Level



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The Many Meanings of Money:

An Advanced Workshop in Property Mediation for Higher Asset Individuals:

Real Estate Holdings, Small Business Assets, and Financial Issues


     Applying Facilitative mediation skills and techniques to those several issues of high asset individuals and married couples gong through divorce present an interesting challenge.  This workshop intends to offer guidance, what the mediator needs to know, ask, and how to frame financial and property conflicts in order to assist high asset individuals develop a reasonable and equitable financial and/or real property settlement.  Cultural issues aside for the moment, many high asset individuals residing in this tri-state region have business holdings and interests, real estate properties, bank accounts and financial interests across the USA and for that matter, the world.    

     The concept of "Money" means many different things to people, including high asset individuals and couples.  Gender, age, culture also play a very significant role.  For the mediator finding themselves participating in a high asset conflict, the question becomes,  "What is this “thing” called money?  Can you speak the "language" of money?  What is the difference between money and currency.  What is "Blockchain"?  "Cryptocurrency"?  "Arbitrage"?  "DAPT or FAPT" and "Bridge Trusts? What are Stocks, Bonds, and Derivatives?  As mediators, in order to communicate with this client we need to know how to speak the language of high asset individuals.  You might find surprising this language applies to our personal finances as well:  Annuities, Pension Plans, Mortgages, Auto Loans and Credit Cards.  We have all heard of these things; many of us have these things.  Have you read the fine print and footnotes? 

    This Workshop is an advanced Master Class for mediators practicing Facilitative and/or Evaluative mediation.  You will have taken 40-hours of basic mediation and/or divorce mediation training.  An advanced 20-hours training in property mediation would be very helpful although not required for this workshop.  This workshop is recommended for those mediators interested in going to the next level:  Mediating those higher asset cases.  

Topics will include, but are not limited to:

  • 1.      Money as fungible, a store of value:  Salt, spices, and gold
  • 2.      “Transactional” cash and electronic currencies: Bitcoin and blockchain-hybrid
  • 3.      Asset classes:  Tangible and Intangible
  • 4.      Personalities types, education, gender and culture:  How each relates to their money
  • 5.      Framing financial issues associated with Tangible assets
  • 6.      Framing financial issues associated with Intangible assets
  • 7.      Out-of-state and international asset holdings
  • 8.      Considering family owned business assets and values
  • 9.      Understanding Form 1040, Schedules E, D, and C
  • 10.    Investment fees, costs to carry, negative interest rates and the inheritance
  • 11.    Insurance and derivative financial assets
  • 12.    Understanding the estate plan and situational trusts: Special Needs, DAPT & FAPT
  • 13.    Understanding regulated pensions under ERISA, OPM, and the Military

     Each 2-hour workshop will run on two consecutive days, two hours each day.  Depending upon availability and participants' convenience, the workshops will be held either in the main conference room of XML Financial Group, 1 Preserve Parkway, Suite 120, Rockville, at the JCECC in Annapolis, or an office in Columbia.  In Rockville, street parking is free; guest parking at the Rockville location is available for a fee.  This workshop can now also be offered in Virginia, at 7600 Leesburg Pike, Suite 120 East, Falls Church, VA  22043.

     Class size is limited to 7 participants on a paid, first come first serve basis.  Coffee, hot tea, cold bottled water and soft drinks as well as healthy snacks are made available in Rockville at no charge.

     To guarantee a seat your registration and payment in full must be received at least two-weeks prior to the start of the first two-hour session. 

     Cost for the two sessions is $150.00 for MCDR members, $200.00 for non-members.  Non-members will also receive with their paid registration a one-year membership in MCDR.  A certificate for 4 hours of ADR related C.E. will be issued to participants at the end of the workshop.  

     This course is intended to satisfy continuing education requirements as set forth in MD Rule 17-205, Qualifications for Court Designated Mediators, (a) (5): Complete in each calendar year four hours of continuing mediation-related education in one or more of the topics set forth in Rule 17-104, (a) (b).

     Please make your check out to Barry Weissman and mail to:

             Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution

             Attn: Treasurer

             10319 Westlake Drive, Suite 247

             Bethesda, MD 20817

     

     Since 2008 Barry M. Weissman CDFA™, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, has been Principal and Owner of Barry M. Weissman & Associates, d.b.a. The Financials of Divorce:  Marriage and Family Mediation.  For 30 years prior, Mr. Weissman was a fee-only financial advisor and estate planner.  Prior to that Mr. Weissman was Series 7 licensed as a registered representative; his U-4 can be found on the SEC website.  Mr. Weissman did not renew his Series 7 and license in Life & Health Insurance in the late 1980s.  His C.V. is offered on LinkedIn where you are invited to connect.  For directions and more information please visit  www.TheFinancialsofDivorce.com

     Cancellations: A full refund will be made with one week's notice of your need to cancel.  Please allow two weeks to receive your refund.  E-Mail: Barry@FinanacialsofDivorce.com

                              For more information or if you have any questions please call:  (314) 223-2661


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Building Your Professional Practice:  A Workshop

     This workshop is presented jointly by MCDR and Barry M. Weissman & Associates, illustrating one of the many benefits given your membership in MCDR.  As described below, this presentation offers you as a participant the opportunity to self-assess and apply those recognized, tried and tested tools with which to establish and improve your practice.  Please continue reading for more information and to register.

     Are you just starting out or have you reached a plateau, now wishing to grow or expand your professional practice? Barry, drawing on his over forty years of highly successful business and sales experience, will personally lead this workshop.  Barry's C.V. can be found on LinkedIn where you are invited to connect.

     The location of the Workshop is determined by the participants, wherever is more convenient.  The workshop can be held either at the JCECC in Annapolis, an office in Columbia, or in the main conference room of XML Financial Group, One Preserve Parkway, Suite 120, Rockville.  Street parking is free; guest parking for a fee is located adjacent to the building.

 

     Directions to the One Preserve Parkway address may be found at www.TheFinancialsofDivorce.com.

 

     Class size is limited to 7 participants on a paid, first come first serve basis.  Coffee, hot tea, cold bottled water and soft drinks as well as healthy snacks are made available at no charge.  Cost for the two sessions is $100.00 for MCDR members, $150.00 for non-members.  The $150.00 charge for non-members can be applied in total to a first year MCDR membership.  At the end of the Workshop a certificate for 4 hours of ADR related C.E. will be issued to each participant.

 

     This workshop includes handouts, an interactive presentation and discussion covering several topics.  In preparation for day one, so that a class roster can be developed, please submit your complete contact information.  Also at the start of our first session you will be asked to introduce yourself to the group.  To that end, please prepare a brief thirty second "Elevator Speech" introducing yourself.  This brief presentation should include who you are and what you do.  Take this opportunity to role play a first encounter with a prospect you hope to turn into a client.  Ask for an appointment; ask for a referral, "Is there anyone else you know who I should speak with...."  


     Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to:   

 

            Your Personal Inventory:  Human Capital

                        Strengths as you see them

                        Strengths as others see them in you

                        Talents and gifts

                        Education

                                    Formal

                                    Life Experience

                                    Professional Training

                        4-quadrant personality types from a sales perspective

                        Sales training

                                    Speaking

                                    Telephone skills

                                    Appearance

                                    Concept sale  (Intangible) vs. product (Tangible) sale

                                    Service, service, service

                                    Maintenance sales and referrals

 

            Selling Yourself = Selling Your Professional Practice

                        On your own

                        Partnerships

                        Alliances and networking

                        Colleague or competitor

                        Developing a market niche and branding

                        Marketing your practice

                                    Ethical restrictions and limitations

                                    Print material

                                    Using Social Media

                                    Active or passive website

                                    LinkedIn or Presenting your C.V. to a prospect

                                    How to get hired or “closing the sale”

                                    Reputation building                                                    

           Just Starting Out?  What you need to do before hanging out the shingle.

           Been Doing It for a While?  Growing your practice and prepping your business for sale.

           What you might have missed or what you might want consider changing

                        Your business plan, if you have one

                        Liability and E&O Insurance

                        Home office or office rental options

                        Business structure

                                    Sole Proprietorship

                                    Sub-S

                                    LLC

                        Mission Statement

                        Banking issues and accounting for a retainer

                        Monthly Client Statements

                        Fee structure and disclosure

                        Forms:  Agreements and Documents

 

      Day 1 will focus on Sales and Sales Strategies; Day 2 will focus on Marketing Strategies and Branding.  In order to personalize the discussion, making it more relevant, participants are invited to prepare topics, issues and questions for discussion during the workshop.

 

     Please e-mail:  Barry@FinancialsofDivorce.com with your contact information and intent to join the workshop.  Upon receipt of your e-mail you will be sent a confirming e-mail.


     Please make out your check to Barry Weissman and mail to:


          The Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution

          10319 Westlake Drive, Suite 247

          Bethesda, MD 20817

  

     Cancellations:  A full refund will be made with one week’s notice of your need to cancel.  Please allow two weeks to                                  receive your refund.

 

     Cost for the two-session workshop is $100.00 for MCDR members, $150.00 for non-members.  The $150.00 charge for non-members can be applied to a first year MCDR membership.  Again, in order to complete your registration you must send in your check made payable to Barry M. Weissman.

 

Cell Phone:  314-223-2661

E-mail:  Barry@FinancialsofDivorce.com             



     


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Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution
10319 Westlake Drive, Suite 247
 Bethesda, Maryland   20817

 Professionals in Conflict Resolution
Send us an e-mail

     MCDR is the oldest membership-based organization in Maryland dedicated to promoting the use of mediation and supporting

the mediation profession.  We have a proud history of successfully advocating for allowing multiple professions to practice mediation,

halting attempts to restrict the practice some fifteen years ago.  MCDR is the first organization to establish performance based criteria

now in use as a national model, part of an ongoing dialogue on quality assurance and mediator credentials.

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