Paul Smollar has been practicing family law for almost forty years, and has become a leader in Collaborative Practice in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Recognized as the only mediator and arbitrator in the District of Columbia certified by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Professor Smollar is an accomplished litigator when matters do not settle. Whatever the divorce process may be – that is, collaborative, mediation, traditional negotiation, arbitration, or litigation – his focus always remains to empower his clients in their choices, both through the divorce resolution process itself and with an eye towards their future regarding themselves and the co-parenting of their children. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a top 100 lawyer in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area every year since 2008. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, Professor Smollar was recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the top ten lawyers in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. He has also been recognized as one of Washington D.C.’s top divorce lawyers in Washingtonian Magazine. His practice has been recognized for the past ten years in The Best Lawyers in America. Professor Smollar has also been a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) since 1990. In 2012 and 2017, Professor Smollar was named Collaborative Lawyer of the Year for the D.C. metropolitan area by Best Lawyers in America. He is an active faculty member of the Collaborative Practice Training Institute, which trains lawyers, mental health professionals and financial experts in the Collaborative Practice Process, and has served as faculty for countless programs on Collaborative Practice on the East Coast and nationally.
