Sharon P. O’Day, Esq. Marital & Family Lawyer, Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, and Circuit Civil Mediator. She has been practicing exclusively in Family Law since 2001.
After many years representing clients in the most contentious family litigation, Ms. O'Day decided to devote her professional talents to alternative dispute resolution processes. In her professional capacity as a family mediator she works with all parties to mediate a agreements that will resolve all issues in a family dispute. Ms. O’Day understands that divorce and family conflict can be emotionally devastating and financially costly. She works in her capacity as a mediator to reach an amicable conclusion to the issues in the most efficient manner possible. Ms. O'Day mediates all types of family disputes including divorce, modification of prior court judgments, issues involving aging parents, family business disputes and issues of paternity.
Ms. O'Day also represents clients in the Collaborative Legal Process. This form of alternative dispute resolution, allows the parties to each have the advice of highly trained counsel and neutral financial and mental health professionals to work together as a team to assist the parties to amicably resolve their divorce. The parties agree to focus on working cooperatively to address all legal issues without court intervention. Should litigation become necessary, the parties agree to retain new counsel to represent them in court.
Sharon O’Day was born in Baltimore and grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland. She attended the University of Maryland where she received a Bachelors degree in Economics with honors and a Bachelors degree in Government & Politics. She attended George Washington Law School in Washington, DC and graduated with a Juris Doctorate in 1987. Ms. O’Day was admitted to practice law in Maryland in the fall of 1987. Ms. O’Day was admitted to practice in Florida in 2000. She was certified by the Supreme Court as a Family Mediator in 2006, qualified as a Parenting Coordinator in 2012 and received her initial training in Collaborative Divorce in 2012. Ms. O’Day has been certified as a Florida Family Law and County Mediation Trainer.
Following graduation Ms. O’Day worked for several non-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area, representing refugees from around the world in legal matters before the Immigration Service. In 1992 she joined the staff of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a Protection Officer. She worked in South East Asia, the former Yugoslavia and Africa, working with government officials and aid organizations to ensure the rights of the refugees were protected.