Our Team

Divorce Helpline provides legal services superior to what people receive from the court system, with a process that promotes peace and respect between the parties.

Bill is vice-president of Divorce Helpline as well as a partner in a family law litigation firm with offices in Northern and Southern California. Both an experienced mediator and an experienced family law litigator, Bill has argued before California Appellate Courts on international child custody disputes and Hague abduction cases, is certified as a pro tem Judge, and acts as an Arbitrator in mandatory fee arbitrations between attorneys and clients. For many years, Bill has worked closely with psychological professionals to address the developmental and psychological needs of children during the divorce process, an area of particular concern for him.

It is satisfying to work for a firm whose goal is helping divorcing parties reach a solution they both can feel good about.

Allison is a highly experienced collaborative law attorney and mediator specializing in Domestic Partnerships/Same-sex marriage, QDROs, and the special challenges facing families of addiction. She conducts between 100-150 divorce mediations a year throughout California, and presents quarterly educational seminars to self-represented litigants. She is a skilled contract negotiator (including Union CBAs), and draws on her professional background in mental health services to help clients work on solutions to major problems or issues in a collaborative manner. Allison also provides pro bono mediation services through a non-profit organization serving low income clients.

Mary Pollock’s work experience for more than 20 years has focused exclusively on Family Law.  As a paralegal, mediator and now as an attorney, Mary has developed a genuine passion for acting as an advocate for people working through various adverse circumstances in their lives.  She is upbeat, positive and brings compassion and empathy to clients that are experiencing the life transition of a divorce or other family law issue. Perhaps one of her greatest skills is educating clients by explaining to them how the law applies to the facts of their individual case and helping them understand their options. Mary believes that knowledge is power and encourages all clients to pursue a complete understanding of the issues in their case and the options available to them.

Our Founders

The idea for Divorce Helpline started with Ed Sherman, founder of Nolo Press and author of books and software programs that help people going through divorce. In 1990, he opened Divorce Helpline in California with attorneys Anne Lober and Peggy Williams, and together they redesigned the way lawyers work to deliver a service that is economical and effective for people doing their own divorces.