About

The Law Office of Paula E. Berg focuses primarily on assisting clients with domestic relations matters. Attorney Paula Berg has been admitted to practice law since 1994, and in Massachusetts since 1995. Paula is known for her compassion and dedication toward those she represents.

A 1987 magna cum laude graduate of Connecticut College, Paula earned the Psychology Department Prize for highest achievement in the Psychology Department, where Paula also took graduate classes in psychology during her senior year of college. After college, Paula worked as the Director of the Urban Mediation Project of the Dorchester Youth Collaborative. As part of this work, she earned a certification in Mediation from the Attorney General’s office in 1988, and still uses these skills to negotiate the best possible outcome for her clients.

By mediating community and family disputes and reporting outcomes to the District Court Judges, Paula felt at home in the courtroom and in the dispute resolution process. She entered Cornell Law School in 1991, and earned her J.D. in 1994. As a new lawyer, she received training and experience first at a small boutique firm in Boston and later at a large Boston firm, where she was an associate specializing in domestic relations.

The decision to open her own practice in 2001 allowed her the opportunity to choose her own clients and represent those clients in a way that was consistent with her philosophy that the “client comes first.”

By keeping overhead low and committing herself to amicable resolution wherever possible, Paula is able to contain her clients’ legal costs. As a solo practitioner, she has the autonomy to keep the costs in line with the scope of the work performed, not just the amount of hours worked.

After over twenty-five years of legal experience, Paula has the knowledge and skill to aggressively handle even the most complex domestic relations matter. However, with that experience comes the realization that a collaborative style allows pathways to negotiation and settlement precluded by a strictly adversarial style. As a case goes forward, both styles may at times be necessary, but Paula will always be respectful in her dealings with the parties and opposing counsel. When a case cannot settle and a trial becomes necessary, she enjoys the trial process.

The areas of law included in domestic relations are broad, and include separation, divorce, asset division, child support, alimony, parenting plans, custody disputes, paternity matters, pre-marital agreements (pre-nups), marital agreements (post-nups), contempt actions and modification actions (making changes after a judgment of divorce has already entered).

What Paula enjoys most about family law is serving as an advocate, counselor and educator for her clients. Paula is committed to a proactive, team-centered approach to client representation. Her philosophy is to empower her clients by making sure they have the knowledge and the tools necessary to make fully informed decisions about their lives and their families.

She is especially sensitive to the fact that client goals evolve throughout the litigation or negotiation process, and she works closely with each client to pursue the strategy best suited to obtaining these often changing objectives.

Paula is a certified mediator and is also certified in collaborative law and enjoys participating in alternative dispute resolution options. She is a creative problem-solver and not afraid to “think outside the box.” She has an excellent track record for settling difficult cases and uses all her personal and interpersonal skills to do so.

From 2008 to 2020, Paula was active in the Massachusetts Association of Guardians ad Litem, an organization dedicated to the education of GALs appointed to investigate the children’s best interests. The mission of MAGAL is to promote education and collegiality so that GALS meet a consistent standard of competence and sensitivity, two aspects that are crucial to ensuring that families are served fairly by the GAL process. After serving as Judicial Liaison, Paula served as President from 2016 – 2018. Paula formerly served as an active member of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts Board of Directors and was Co-Chair of its Legislative Policy Committee.  Prior to COVID shifting judicial priorities, Paula served as Chair of the Committee to Revise the Guardian ad Litem Standards for the Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court.

In 2022, Paula received the Women’s Bar Foundation’s Nery J. Arrano award for outstanding pro bono service to low-income clients.

In 2022, Paula was asked to serve as the Vice President of Caring Connection at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. In this new role, she is launching a pilot program involving teens supporting children who have lost immediate family members. Paula is currently a DCF licensed foster parent serving as a “hotline” foster home for children removed suddenly from their homes. Paula’s personal wish is that all Massachusetts children free for adoption find a warm and loving “forever family”- and that no child be left to languish in the foster care system. She is dedicated to children’s rights and conducts her work as a family lawyer with the mind of a child-rights advocate.