Court appointed Masters and Special Masters may address a myriad of issues in divorce and post-divorce matters in a more cost effective manner. Masters can be appointed by the Court to hear evidence and enter findings of fact and judgments. Special Masters are appointed by the Court to address more limited issues such as discovery disputes, the sale of real estate or businesses, and to divide property, among other things. Mark Warner, Phyllis Federico and Steven Ryan are regularly appointed by the Court and privately engaged by other attorneys to serve as both Masters and Special Masters. Where custody and/or parenting time is contested, the Court will often appoint a Guardian Ad Litem (“GAL”) to conduct an investigation and make recommendations to provide the Court with the information necessary to determine what is in the child or children’s best interests. The attorneys at Warner, Federico and Ryan are all skilled at working with their clients to prepare them for the GAL investigation and their interview and to help their clients assess the report and recommendations. Sandy Durland and Emily Nicholson are trained and certified Guardians Ad Litems and have been appointed by the Court and privately engaged by other attorneys to serve as a GAL.