Open houses are always a curiosity for those who find intrigue when wondering “what goes on behind those doors” on an every day basis. When an open house turns into a true eye-opener, the value to each casual observer has the potential to increase exponentially. That’s one of the reasons that Deborah Bennett Berecz, her team and suite-mates are throwing open the doors next week to members of the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber and invited guests. Deb wants everyone to see how life-changing situations can be moderated and successfully resolved.
Deb Berecz is a collaborative lawyer and mediator who houses her practice on the third floor of St. Joseph’s Box Factory for the Arts. She tells me, “I work with people who are really concerned about divorcing in a way that maintains their ability to function as a family post-divorce, and navigate through the process with some respect and even care for one another.”
Deb will be the first to admit, “Most people, when they think about a divorce, assume they need to ‘lawyer up’ and that a battle is about to begin,” and adds, “Maybe that is entirely how a divorce is going to happen for them. However, it does take two people to agree to do it in a decent way, to do it with respect. So our litigation process serves a purpose. It’s needed, and I am really grateful that Gabi’s expertise is in that area.”
Gabi, for the record, is Deb’s newest team member — Gabriella Reihanian Havlicek. She is a trial attorney and mediator, who brings extensive experience in that realm to the team. Gabi will be the first to point right back to Deb, however, and tells us, “Deb’s specialty with collaborative mediating is just…it’s superior in the state. I mean, she helped start the collaborative process in the state of Michigan.” In fact, in 2005, Deb Berecz was one of only two people who were trained in that process on the entire western side of the state. Today? There’s probably at least 50 professionals who are practicing in that work, helping change the landscape dramatically for Michigan residents. Deb’s leadership extends as well to her stint as a past President of the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan.
Chamber members will have the chance to meet the entire team and their suite-mates in the upcoming Open House in Suite 315 on the top floor of the Box Factory for the Arts located at 1101 Broad Street in St. Joseph across from the St. Joseph Public Works Department.
In addition to Deb and Gabi, Berecz & Associates includes Legal Assistant Jenny Wyly, IT Specialist Andriy Kharkovy from AK Group, LLC, and File Clerk Christopher King.
Suite-mates include the long running Smietanka Law Group with John Smietanka and Joseph Daly…David M. Peterson II, Attorney…Reed Centracchio & Associates’ Bryan V. Reed, Attorney at Law…and John M. Berecz, PhD, a Board Certified Licensed Clinical Psychologist.
Deb and her team work diligently to support people working to navigate the waters of divorce, adoption, and such family issues. She admits, “Divorce is right up there with the death of a spouse in terms of the stress and anxiety it creates for an individual, so we like to provide what we call a ‘soft-landing’ for people to assure them that we know how to maneuver through all of this.” adding, “We’ve been doing it for a long time and we’ll take care of folks in a way that hopefully protects their family going forward, as well as their finances, their children, and all things that are good.”
At Berecz & Associates, their Statement of Values opens immediately by saying, “We believe that family relationships continue after a divorce of other legal transition. We value being a positive influence for reconfigured families to flourish, live in happiness and peace.”
When you attend next week’s open house from 4 to 7pm on Wednesday, March 13th, you’ll discover the unique culture established by a sharply focused team. Deb says, “We have really three requirements to work here for all of us, myself included. One — We want only top-notch quality work coming out of this office. Two — We want people who really care about our clients. And three — We want to look forward to seeing each other at the end of the day. You know, you spend a lot of time together, and all the rest can be learned — but I think we really enjoy working together, where there’s a lot of support and laughter in this office and a lot of tears as well. A Kleenex box is always within about six feet of any space in this office.”
See for yourself. There will be appetizers, drinks, fun door prizes, and the chance to connect with all of the collaborative teams working as suite-mates in Suite 315 at the Box Factory. If you haven’t registered with the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber. Do so today.
