attorney at law
Unmani Saraswati, JD
Education and Training
Unmani Saraswati, JD, LLM (tax), founder of Mediation Offices, received High Honors from the University of California, Berkeley, graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law’s Honors Lawyering Program, and earned her LLM in Taxation Law with Honors from Golden Gate University School of Law. Unmani received her mediation training from Gary Friedman of the Center for Mediation in Law. She received her Collaborative Practice training from the CP team of Nancy J. Cameron, JD; Susan Gamache, PhD; and financial specialist Doreen Gardner Brown.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Alameda County Family Law Association
- Alameda County Bar Association
- California Bar Association, State Bar Number 234836
Academic Employment
- Adjunct Professor, Golden Gate University, School of Law, 2008-2013
- Course: “Mediation and Collaborative Lawyering”
Inspiration for Developing a Non-Adversarial Firm
Unmani went through her own divorce in 2002. She and her ex-husband engaged traditional litigation attorneys. In addition to charging high fees, Unmani’s attorney never addressed her often-stated number one priority of maintaining a relationship with her beloved step-daughters. Through this experience Unmani realized that the traditional adversarial approach to divorce fails to address the needs of many family law clients.
Our Services
- Divorce Mediation
- Collaborative Practice
- Preparing & Reviewing Pre-Nuptial Agreements
- Consulting Attorney
Since Unmani only takes non-adversarial cases, and does not litigate, she is able to give all her clients timely attention. Unmani’s practice is that of a transactional attorney, which means she can anticipate the majority of her work and serve all of her clients equally.
Initial Consultation
An initial consultation last one hour and costs $195.
For a mediation consultation, both individuals attend the initial consultation. The consultation provides information about the mediation process and gives potential clients insight on whether Mediation Offices services will meet their needs.
For a Collaborative Practice or consulting attorney consultation, Unmani usually meets with the person who she would be working with, although if she is the first CP professional contacted, she can communicate with the other individual to facilitate his/her contact with another CP attorney.
Office Hours
Unmani typically schedules mediation sessions on: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; though Monday and Friday session are made available on an as-needed basis. Sessions generally last for 1.5 to 3 hours.