Timothy Martin

Timothy D. Martin, whose San Mateo law practice specializes in family law, earned his JD from the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. He has always been interested in family law, which encompasses divorce law, pre-marital agreements, and custody arrangements. In the more than 30 years he has been practicing law, Timothy D. Martin has grown more aware of the many ways that traditional dispute resolution, especially litigation, can take such a toll on all involved that everybody loses, even the declared winner. Consequently, he has become a strong advocate of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), both when counseling clients and in his professional associations.

Timothy D. Martin is especially optimistic about collaborative practice, a relative newcomer to the field of ADR that strives to arrive at the best possible outcome for all parties involved. A process of negotiation that eschews litigation, collaborative law requires specially trained attorneys who will not permit the process to become adversarial. One of the features of collaborative law is that the attorneys involved agree to withdraw from the case should the collaborative effort fail and litigation be required. This feature, combined with the requirement that all information disclosed during the collaboration may not be presented in court in the event of litigation, provides a powerful incentive to all concerned to arrive at a settlement that will let all parties emerge with their finances and pride intact.

Timothy D. Martin’s advocacy of ADR has been instrumental in the establishment of an ADR program by the San Mateo County Superior Court, which ultimately grew into the court’s Multi-Option ADR (MAP) Project. Additionally, Timothy D. Martin co-founded the law practice group known as Collaborative Practice San Mateo County (CPSMC).

A dedicated family man, Timothy D. Martin’s partner at the Martin Family Law Firm is his wife, Margaret Laughlin Martin. An expert in the many different forms of legal protection, such as power of attorney, guardianship, and conservatorship, Mrs. Martin specializes in protected persons law, which deals with those who, for whatever reason, are unable to handle their own finances or lives.