Meet Your Mediator
Kristyn Carmichael, Esq. CDFA©
Founder, Professional Mediator, & Certified Divorce Financial Analyst
Kristyn Carmichael is a licensed Arizona attorney, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA©), and professional family mediator. As the founder of Couples Solutions Center, Kristyn assists couples in reaching mutually beneficial solutions outside of court. Regardless of the level of conflict within a relationship, Kristyn believes that mediation can empower her clients to make decisions for their future while developing a healthy dynamic for the benefit of their family. Her background in the legal and financial implications of the divorce process makes her uniquely qualified to assist couples in finding unique solutions that prioritize their financial security. As a neutral third party, Kristyn believes in a supportive approach, providing couples with unique options and guiding their process from beginning to end, rather than acting passively and allowing conflict to grow. When she is not working with couples and families, Kristyn acts as the Training Director at the Lodestar Center for Dispute Resolution at Arizona State University College of Law, teaches family law as an adjunct professor, and assists the university in creating new courses in the ADR field.
Meet Your Mediation Assistant
Kaila Thornton
Kaila Thornton helps our clients feel reassured and supported during an unpredictable time, by assisting them in understanding the twists and turns of their separation process. She believes our process offers a personalized experience for our clients and their families. Her communications degree allows her to excel at assisting clients through their process from beginning to end, from answering questions and communicating with the court to assisting clients with their notary process.
Meet Your Coach
Andrea Hipps, LBSW
Certified Divorce Coach
Andrea Hipps, LBSW is a Certified Divorce Coach® and author who helps you address the emotional and logistical challenges you face as you enter and exit the divorce process - big emotions, overwhelm, endless details, logistics, frustration, communication problems, loss, and fear - and leads you to a place of relief, structure, and a hopeful future. Essentially, she helps you divorce differently and better, even if you have a complicated soon to be former partner or storyline. As you move through divorce mediation, her coaching will help you alleviate anxiety, prepare for and practice the process, learn negotiation strategies, create a game plan for potential triggers, and develop confidence for the road ahead. She's the author of the bestselling book The Best Worst Time of Your Life: Four Practices to Get You Through the Pain of Divorce and has been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX and the CW discussing how we can do divorce better for the sake of ourselves and our families. You can learn more about Andrea's practice at https://www.andreahippsdivorcecoach.com.
Our Story and Promise
Couples Solutions Center was started based on a passion for helping others through the challenging and beautiful moments that shape our lives. Let it be the giddy excitement of a newly engaged couple, or the loss and anger brought about by separation/divorce, our team has the distinct privilege of guiding people through their highest and lowest moments. Our founder, Kristyn Carmichael, experienced the challenging landscape of the family law field firsthand, from a child testifying in court to a practicing attorney. She found that much of our legal system is not created to protect families or address unique agreements. Regretfully, the family law field often becomes an adversarial battle ground where there is little consideration for the needs of children, a lack of understanding around the complexity of finances, and a costly minefield that leaves many dissatisfied with their agreements. Couples Solutions Center seeks to break from the norm, providing a compassionate and thoughtful approach, focussed on family-centered agreements. Rather than uncertain, excessive costs, we provide transparent, flat fee structures that are predictable without hidden costs. Our team believes in providing the highest level of expertise, including designations as Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, licensed Arizona attorney, and Certified Divorce Coach. Additionally, we provide a one-of-a-kind concierge experience, connecting you with exceptional professionals to help you not only through your process itself, but also to better understand the implications surrounding your legal agreements and your future. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you.