MEET OUR MEDIATORS
Our mediators are dedicated to guiding families through conflicts with compassion, aiming for solutions that preserve relationships and resources
Erin Duncan, Esq.
Erin Duncan, Esq.
​Since becoming certified to practice law in the state of Florida, Erin has accumulated a wealth of knowledge through her diverse legal experience both in private practice and in her capacity as a General Magistrate presiding over family law cases. In practice, she has experienced successful outcomes in difficult family law cases using a variety of approaches from collaborative law to advocacy in highly contested trials. She has earned an outstanding reputation with past and present clients, colleagues, and peers as her insight, direction, and no-nonsense approach have led to creative and innovative solutions to complex legal issues.  Erin now channels her wealth of experience into helping family mediate their family law matters to prompt and fair resolution.
Since 2001, Erin has called Central Florida home. She attended the University of Central Florida and earned her bachelor’s degree in legal studies in 2005. Following this, she attended the Florida A&M University College of Law and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University.  She earned her Juris Doctor in 2007 and was admitted to the Florida Bar in April 2008.
Erin has served as an adjunct professor at Seminole State College teaching paralegal studies and today maintains relationships with past students who are now attorneys themselves. Furthermore, she mentors new family law attorneys and is an active participant in several voluntary bar organizations. Erin continuously gives back to the legal community that helped her develop her skills as a client-focused and goal-oriented family attorney and counselor at law. She is certified to mediate family, civil, and appellate cases, and serves as a Guardian ad Litem to represent the best interest of children when called on to do so.
Erin has been recognized for her strategic abilities by the Central Florida legal community in a variety of ways. In 2009, she earned an award for Recognition and Appreciation by the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association. She has been a particularly active member of this association as a speaker at various engagements, an author published in their magazine The Briefs, and has served in leadership positions. In addition to the OCBA, she is professionally associated with a number of other organizations such as The Central Florida Family Law Inn of Court and the Florida Supreme Court.
Lauren Ilvento, Esq., BCS
Lauren Ilvento, Esq., BCS
Lauren M. Ilvento has been practicing law since 1995. She is a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Marital and Family Law, and thus is an expert in that field. Board Certified attorneys are required to pass a specialized examination focused on detailed a nuanced family law situations and receive positive reviews from both judges and other attorneys. Board Certified attorneys must be recertified every five (5) years to prove that they have maintained the required level of knowledge and expertise, including additional peer review.
She currently focuses her practice in the following areas: family law, in particular with cases with international, jurisdictional, and business issues. She has a business and corporate law background. She is trained in the Collaborative Law process.
Throughout her practice, Ms. Ilvento has represented a wide variety of clients, from multinational corporations to local businesses and individuals, in matters ranging from domestic and international family law cases to establishing business entities throughout the world, resolving contract and intellectual property disputes, drafting and reviewing business contracts, litigating commercial disputes, assisting with multi-million dollar corporate acquisitions, and assisting in the research and implementation of international tax planning vehicles. As a result, she is skilled in resolving all types of disputes and working with people from every walk of life.
Lauren came to family law several years after her own divorce.  As a result of her own experiences, she is passionate about helping others find pragmatic, workable solutions to their own family law issues in a way that preserves, to the maximum extent possible, the parties’ resources and avoids further damage the parties’ relationship with each other.
Prior to opening her own firm in 2009, she worked with The Draves Law Firm, P.A. in Orlando, Florida practicing general business law, civil litigation and family law and with General Counsel Advisors, P.A. in Maitland, Florida, practicing general business and corporate law and providing general counsel services to small and medium-sized corporations.
From 1998 through 2001, Ms. Ilvento practiced international corporate law with the Brussels (Belgium) office of Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, LLP and was a member of the Brussels Bar on the “B-List” for foreign attorneys. Prior to living in Belgium, Ms. Ilvento practiced law in Miami, Florida with the litigation firm of Haddad, Josephs, Jack, Gaebe & Markarian, P.A.
Ms. Ilvento holds a Juris Doctor degree with honors from The George Washington University National Law Center, where she was the Executive Articles Editor of The George Washington Journal of International Law and Economics. Ms. Ilvento also was a member of the Moot Court Board and participated in moot court competitions, which culminated in her competing in the international rounds of the Phillips C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition. Ms. Ilvento received her A.B. from Brown University with honors in International Relations and completed an honors thesis entitled, “European Political Union.” She also attended the prestigious Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Lyon, France for one academic year and is fluent in French.
Ms. Ilvento is a member of the Florida Bar and is admitted to practice before the Federal Courts of the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. She is also a member of the Orange County Bar Association, the George C. Young American Inn of Court, the Central Florida Family Law Inn of Court, the Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida, the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, the International Association of Collaborative Professionals, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (both the National and Florida Chapters). She has been an active member of service organizations focused on the improving the quality of life for women and children, including the Kiwanis Club of North Orlando, in which has held several officer positions, including being elected as president several times over the years. She is a former member of the Junior League of Greater Orlando
Virginia Poynter, MS
Virginia Poynter, MS
Virginia “Ginger” Poynter has been mediating family law cases since 2006. With a background as a Family Therapist and Educator, she understands the importance of creating a safe, non-judgmental environment where parties can negotiate their differences. Recognizing that this can be a stressful and uncertain time, Virginia actively listens to ensure each individual feels heard and understood.
Virginia fosters an atmosphere of cooperation, empowering parties to work collaboratively on their issues. She encourages families to explore alternative and creative solutions tailored to their unique circumstances. Passionate about helping families reach resolution, Virginia supports them in moving forward in healthy ways.
Virginia has called Central Florida home since 1973. She earned her Bachelor of Education from the University of Florida and her Master of Science in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in 1994. From 1994 to 1998, she served as a Family Counselor at Greenhouse Counseling Center, later practicing privately from 2000 to 2006.
Virginia conducted court-ordered counseling for high-conflict divorcing families and completed the Florida Supreme Court Family Mediator Certification Training at the University of South Florida in 2006. She has been a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator since then.
Her counseling skills are invaluable in helping parties feel relaxed, respected, and assured that their concerns will be heard and validated. In addition to counseling families experiencing divorce, Virginia has taught parenting classes, facilitated divorce support groups for adults and children, and led training sessions for educators and other professionals.
Virginia is also active in the Central Florida community, volunteering as a facilitator for team-building initiatives. She has served on various boards and committees, including the Junior League, Council of 101 Art Museum, Church Street Counseling Center Board, Children’s Theatre Guild, and PESO.
Jackie Otero, MA, CFM
Jackie Otero, MA, CFM
Jackie Otero is a Florida Supreme Court-certified family mediator, business professional, and
higher education leader based in Winter Park, Florida. With a Master’s degree in business from
New York University, a Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Yale University, and 20+ years of
experience managing hundreds of employees and thousands of clients, she served as a business
professor, university dean, and conduct officer before moving into family mediation. She
combines personal experience in navigating difficult family scenarios with professional
experience in facilitating conflict resolution in business to help people efficiently move on with
the next chapter of life. In addition to her educational and mediation background, she holds a
certificate in Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace and has a passion for helping families
working through addiction and mental health issues in their parenting plans.
Paul Newnum, CFM
Paul Newnum, Esq., CFM
Paul D. Newnum has been a member of The Florida Bar since 1983, and has practiced in the area of family law (among many others) since being admitted to the Bar. He is currently a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator for The Ninth Judicial Circuit of The State of Florida, whose citizens he has served as a mediator for nearly 20 years and over 4,000 family cases.  He mediates family cases on a private basis, as well, and also serves as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator. Â
Paul attended the public schools of Evansville, Indiana, before matriculating through Purdue and Indiana Universities, where he was made a member of the scholastic honorary fraternities, Phi Eta Sigma and Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from IU with Distinction, and followed his undergraduate studies by attending the Indiana University School of Law in beautiful Bloomington. With extended family in Florida since the year of his birth, it was natural for him to head to The Sunshine State after finishing law school; he was an associate, and then a partner, at Orlando’s oldest continuing practice of law, Giles, Hedrick and Robinson, before opening his own office. For the past several years, he has concentrated his time and practice on mediation. Â
Paul has served in a variety of professional capacities. He has chaired The Florida Bar’s Media and Communications Law Committee, and has served as Chair of The Reporters’ Workshop for Print and Broadcast Journalists. He has been a longtime member of The Florida Bar’s Family Law Committee (where he served on the Attorneys Fees and Ethics Committee, The Special Needs of Children Committee, and The Florida Bar Journal Committee) and Alternative Dispute Resolution Section. He has served as Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary of the Orange County Bar Association’s Family Law Committee. He has lectured throughout Central Florida, served on various educational panels, and is an alumnus of The Orlando Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Orlando program. He has been involved in numerous other civic, community and charitable groups. He has served as a guardian ad litem on behalf of children his entire career.
Paul currently co-hosts the worldwide weekly blues music show, Smokestack Lightnin’, which he founded in 1990. “The Best Blues In The World” airs locally every Saturday from 8 pm until midnight on 89.9 FM, WUCF, Orlando. The show has been broadcasting the best new blues music releases and vintage blues since 1991.
Paul has lived in Florida over forty years and currently resides in Winter Park.