Ms. Chadbourne and the Chadbourne Law Offices, P.A. represent and advise clients in the following areas:

Litigation and Appeals

Ms. Chadbourne has represented individuals in a wide array of disputes, including those involving real estate, contested family law matters, securities law, product liability, breach of contract and many others. Ms. Chadbourne's litigation practice, including her appellate work, is tailored to the needs of each client. She has extensive experience with litigation and appeals; her attention to detail is a crucial aspect of Ms. Chadbourne's success in the litigation and appellate arena, as adherence to specific appellate procedural rules and filing deadlines are essential steps that cannot be overlooked or taken lightly for risk of dismissal before a case is even heard.

Court proceedings are governed by specialized rules of civil procedure and evidence, the application of which may be just as essential to a person's success as the applicable statute, regulation or precedent. Knowledge of the applicable law and of the type of evidence necessary to support a position-which are essential-must be accompanied by a clear understanding as to how to discover that evidence before trial and to obtain its admission at trial. Ms. Chadbourne understands that when evaluating litigation as an option, a client is best served at the outset by considering the evidence that is likely to be admitted at trial.

Business Litigation - Ms. Chadbourne is experienced in representing and advising business clients who are or might become involved in a lawsuit as a result of a dispute. Her areas of business litigation expertise include contracts, product liability, employment-related matters, general business matters, as well as litigation prevention and settlement.

Civil Rights - Ms. Chadbourne has practiced extensively in the area of civil rights, which involve fundamental issues of human rights and freedoms. She represents clients who believe that they have been the victims of police misconduct, sexual harassment, and discrimination-age, disability and illness, national origin, sex, race, and religion-in employment, public accommodation, education, housing, or voting under federal or state law. With her pre-law background as a truck driver and as the first-ever woman member of her local Maine Fire Department, Ms. Chadbourne also knows firsthand the experience of discrimination and sexual harassment in the workforce; she brings a full perspective to her approach to her litigation in the area of civil rights.

Securities - Chadbourne Law Offices, P.A. represents clients, both individual and business, with tender offers and acquisitions, shareholder proposals, securities fraud, and insider trading matters. Ms. Chadbourne advises issuers and broker-dealer firms in proceedings before state and federal regulatory agencies as well as mutual funds and investments, commodities, and trading advisors in regulatory compliance matters. Primarily, Ms. Chadbourne represents clients in securities-related matters in connection with civil litigation and regulatory investigations.

Toxic Torts - Ms. Chadbourne has specialized experience in representing individuals who have been injured by exposure to toxic and other dangerous substances, forms of energy, and devices. She represent clients in recovering money damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and punitive damages, where appropriate, individually or as part of a class action.

Family Law

Ms. Chadbourne's experience and training in family law is supported by her aggressive and proactive style. She also believes in reasonableness and cooperation, however, and she adjusts her representation to suit the needs of each client. Ms. Chadbourne assists clients in all aspects of the law relating to the needs of today's families, including, but not limited to:

• Divorce
• Legal separation
• Nullity
• Paternity
• Domestic Partnerships
• Child Custody/Visitation (including international and interstate disputes)
• Child and Spousal support
• Restraining Orders
• Guardianships
• Adoption
• Grandparent's Rights
• Prenuptial Agreements
• Post-nuptial Agreements;
• Non-Marital Cohabitation Agreements
• Family Law Appeals and Writs
• Juvenile Court Dependency Proceedings.

Few legal areas are as emotionally charged as family law, primarily for the litigants, but also for the lawyers and judges involved in the cases and even the public at large. In divorce and child custody cases in particular, the adversarial process has increased tensions between the parties that do not abate even when the process is complete. As a result, many states have begun to explore other, non-adversarial alternatives, such as mandatory mediation, which can save time and money and preserve relationships to the extent possible. Mediation and other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes provide an option for those who prefer to stay out of court. ADR provides many potential advantages for most cases, including reduced cost, faster resolution, less emotional stress, the ability to construct solutions that are outside of the authority of the courts. Whatever the situation, Ms. Chadbourne and the Chadbourne Law Offices, P.A. will be able to handle all of your family law needs.

Real Estate Law

The Chadbourne Law Offices, P.A. has a broad-based real estate practice and represents clients in all aspects of real estate transaction and ownership issues. Ms. Chadbourne's real estate clients include developers, contractors, landlords, tenants, and purchasers and sellers of real property. Some examples of the services Ms. Chadbourne provides in this area include:

• Real Estate Sales Transactions
• Closings
• Condemnation Matters
• Development Agreements
• Construction Contracts
• Leases
• Easements
• Mortgage-Based Financing Transactions
• Mechanics Loans
• Foreclosures
• Title Issues
• Tax-Free Exchanges
• Real Estate Tax Protests.

Dori Chadbourne has the knowledge and expertise necessary to ensure that your real estate transaction goes smoothly, with no surprises. Ms. Chadbourne provides the technical competence you require as well as the ability to successfully deal with the human element in real estate transactions.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is the process of resolving legal conflicts without going to trial. As a Certified Mediator, Ms. Chadbourne is at the forefront of this area, advising clients on arbitration, international dispute resolution, mediation, mini-trials, and private judging. She has extensive expertise in determining when a form of ADR is in the best interest of clients and routinely advises her clients on the legal consequences flowing from particular terms and conditions of all ADR options.