Susan A. Hansen

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During her nearly 30 years as a lawyer, Susan A. “Sue” Hansen has worked to change the experience of divorce, both inside the courtroom and out.

Not bad for a woman who vowed never to become a lawyer.

After her father, Robert W. Hansen, was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1967, Hansen turned away from the law; she didn’t want to live in his shadow.

Hansen became a Milwaukee Public School teacher.

Job cuts led Hansen, of Milwaukee, to the seeming security of legal practice.

Her history as a teacher served as a springboard for Hansen’s focus as a lawyer. She quickly gravitated toward children’s issues, particularly child advocacy.

After handling abuse and neglect cases in children’s court, then taking guardian ad litem assignments in family court, Hansen saw “systemic problems” with the court’s approach to divorce.

“I think anyone who meets with hundreds of children, as I did early in my career as a guardian ad litem, can’t help but see the damage and the pain; children begging me to make their parents stop fighting; children saying they’re being forced to choose, and that pain of that; the 5-year-old who thought he wanted to live with me because it would be peaceful. It’s heart-breaking,” Hansen said.

Hansen decided the best way to help the children of divorce would be to limit the damage their parents did to each other when they split up.

That’s what led Hansen, 58, to collaborative divorce.

Under the model, there are no ultimatums or dueling experts, no nastiness on the witness stand; just two people and their lawyers.

When they negotiate, mental health experts and financial advisors help divorcing couples mitigate the hurt and maximize the information they need to make sound decisions for their kids.

The goal is to avoid a painful trial. If the case does go to trial, the collaborative lawyers let other attorneys take over.

Since 2000, when she helped found the Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin, Hansen has worked to educate the public and members of the bar about collaborative divorce.

“I see myself as someone who is working to change the culture of family law,” Hansen said. “I see the value in that.”