Marta Papa

Marta Papa

  • Arbitration & Mediation, Divorce, Family Law
  • Missouri
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Biography

Marta divides her time between mediating and litigating family law matters. She has been practicing Family Law since 1980 and has successfully completed over 10,000 divorces. Marta received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston and obtained a post-graduate certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy Training from the prestigious Menninger Psychiatric Institute. Marta has taught Mediation, Dissolution of Marriage and Civil Litigation at Webster University and St. Louis University in the Graduate School of Social Work. She also conducts family law mediation training seminars for lawyers, judges, and mental health professionals, as well as seminars for individuals considering divorce. Marta has published numerous articles on family law and mediation, and as a regular guest speaker at conferences, on television and on radio programs, Marta has helped establish mediation as an alternative to divorce litigation in the St. Louis area. She is going to publish her first book, 7 Secrets from the Divorce Whisperer: Saving Yourself, Your Money, and Your Children During Divorce, in Fall of 2019.

Practice Areas
Arbitration & Mediation
Business Arbitration, Consumer Arbitration, Family Arbitration
Divorce
Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce
Family Law
Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law
Fees
  • Credit Cards Accepted
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    $400/hour, retainer required for litigation cases
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Missouri
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Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
Education
University of Houston - Main Campus
J.D. | Law
University of Houston - Main Campus Logo
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
B.A. | Political Science
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign Logo
Awards
Elected "The Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers"
Martindale-Hubbell
AV Rating
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
Professional Associations
St. Louis Psychological Association
Member
Current
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International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Member
Current
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ABA Advisory Panel
Member
Current
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Association for Conflict Resolution
Member
Current
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Association of Missouri Mediators
Member
Current
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Association of Family Conciliatory Courts
Member
Current
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Missouri State Bar
Member
- Current
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Illinois State Bar
Member
- Current
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Publications
Articles & Publications
Faces of St. Louis: The Face of Divorce Mediation
St. Louis Magazine
When Marriage Counseling Turns in to Divorce Counseling
Contact: An Illinois Counseling Association Publication
Q&A: A Conversation with Marta Papa, Divorce Whisperer
St. Louis Magazine
The ABCs of Resolving Relational Conflict
ICA Counselor Magazine
Downturn Driving up Divorce Mediation Cases
St. Louis Business Journal
Why Does Manimony Feel So Wrong?
Marie Claire
Breaking Up without Breaking the Bank
The Wall Street Journal
Simplifying Divorce
Ladue News
Changes in Court: New Child Support Guidelines
Ladue News
Business Mediation: A Better Way to Resolve Workplace Conflict
Mediate.com
Rights of Never-Married and Same Sex Couples
Family Mediation Quarterly
Salute to Women in Leadership
Time Magazine
Interdisciplinary Collaborative Law
St. Louis Lawyer Magazine
Collaborative Law: A New Alternative for Divorcing Couples
St. Louis Lawyer Magazine
Collaborative Law in Dissolution Cases
Missouri Lawyer's Weekly
Mediation for the Future
St. Louis Parent Magazine
Country to Promote Divorce Mediation
St. Louis Suburban Journals
Way to Smooth Road to Painful Divorce
St. Louis Post Dispatch
Speaking Engagements
Fusion of Law and Psychology in Relationship Counseling, MOAMFT 2013 Annual Conference, Columbia, MO
MOAMFT
Guiding Divorcing Families Through Crisis as a Divorce Mediator, Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association 23rd Annual Conference, Skokie, IL
IMHCA
The ABC's of Resolving Relational Conflict, Illinois Counseling Association 2012 Annual Conference, Springfield, IL
Illinois Counseling Association
Divorce Whispering, National Association of Social Workers- Illinois Chapter, Oak Brook, IL
NASW-IL
Certifications
Mediator and Early Neutral Evaluator
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
Mediator
20th Judicial Circuit, St. Clair County, Illinois
Mediator
3rd Judicial Circuit, Madison County, Illinois
Post Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy Training
The Menninger School of Psychiatry
Mediator
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
Mediator
21st Judicial Circuit
Websites & Blogs
Website
Considering Divorce
Blog
The Divorce Whisperer
Contact & Map
The Law Office of Marta J Papa
7101 Delmar Blvd.
Saint Louis, MO 63130
Telephone: (314) 862-0202
Fax: (314) 862-3626