Martha J. Mason

Martha J. Mason has been a licensed attorney since 1981 and a full-time collaborative attorney and mediator since 2005.

Ms. Mason devotes her practice exclusively to collaborative law in family matters. She has found deep personal satisfaction in helping her clients achieve negotiated agreements that serve and protect their interests, saving all family members the brutal emotional and financial toll that the traditional adversarial process tends to cause.

Prior to opening her collaborative law practice, Ms. Mason was a partner for many years with Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, one of the oldest and largest law firms in North Carolina. During her tenure, Ms. Mason engaged in a broad litigation practice, including a motion and discovery practice, jury trials, appeals before the North Carolina and federal appellate courts, and extensive settlement negotiations and participation in alternative dispute resolution processes.

Ms. Mason withdrew from her litigation practice to care for her aging parents and young children. That period of time gave her the chance to reflect upon the fact that the most professionally satisfying cases for her had been the ones that were resolved before they ever got to court. Reassessing the focus of her legal career, Ms. Mason decided upon re-entering the workforce to limit her practice to collaborative law in family matters.

Since that time, Ms. Mason has facilitated the successful resolution of numerous cases involving complex property, support, and co-parenting issues. In addition, she regularly participates in seminars and workshops on family law, the collaborative process, and she attends annual conferences of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP). Ms. Mason consistently receives client referrals from other attorneys, mental health professionals, and members of the clergy, as well as former clients.

Ms. Mason received her B.A. degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where she graduated with honors and was a member of the varsity tennis team. Following her graduation, she worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative and press assistant for two United States senators from her home state of Arkansas. She later received her J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Ms. Mason is married to Steve Mason, a partner with Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan. They have two sons.