MATTHEW M. HOUSE, J.D.
Mediator with a Mission
My experience as a child of divorce made me want to earn a law
degree so that I could help children, teens, and adults to avoid the
kind of back-and-forth struggling that I witnessed in my own life. I
now use my background as a mediator and former teacher to help families
create positive change.
My education: I
have a Juris Doctor (law) degree from the University of Idaho College
of Law. At Idaho, I attended on a Non-Resident Full Tuition
Scholarship, and I was selected to the Dean's List. I specialized in
Family Law, and I was recognized seven times for the highest overall
performance in semester courses. Before law school, I earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree from the University of Oregon, where I majored in
Spanish and graduated magna cum laude.
My
experience: I have mediated since 2002, with a private practice since
2005. All of my cases involve marriage, divorce, and custody mediation.
Approximately 95% of my cases involve families with children; over 50%
involve families with teenage children.
My philosophy: When a couple is going
through marriage problems or divorce, the whole family is suffering
from those struggles. It is not an issue isolated to the husband and
wife. I meet with the entire family at least once (unless the clients
insist otherwise) and I meet with the children over the age of six in
each family. Child-centered solutions will always work for adults, but
adult-centered solutions will seldom work for children and teens.
My teaching: I have supervised six mediation interns, including one at present. I have also addressed school audiences about peaceful conflict resolution, and I plan to do more such presentations throughout the remainder of 2010. | 
