Frank West Morrison

Profile

Frank West Morrison is an attorney, mediator and a collaborative professional. He is a frequent lecturer, trainer and author on family law mediation and collaboration topics as well as an adjunct professor at Washington & Lee University School of Law where he teaches negotiation, mediation, advanced negotiation, and collaborative practice as a part of the Law School’s Practicum courses. Mr. Morrison is the former Chair of the Board of Governors of the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar, former Chair of the Domestic Relations Counsel of the Virginia Bar Association, recipient of the Founder ADR in Virginia Award, June 2004, recipient of the Gardner G. DeMallie, Jr. Continuing Legal Education Award, June 2005, recipient of the Life Time achievement award presented by the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section, June 2006 and has been regularly recognized by publications including The Best Lawyers in America, Virginia Super Lawyer & Virginia Legal Elite for a number of years.

Mr. Morrison is an effective and successful trial attorney with decades of practice focused exclusively on divorce, family, mediation, and collaboration. His philosophy, which he practices and espouses to the legal community, is that court is a last resort and that lawyers are first counselors at law and should attempt to facilitate and empower people to resolve their own disputes before resorting to litigation. He firmly believes that in order to be an effective negotiator, in all settings other than the collaborative process, an attorney must be an effective trial lawyer. Negotiation is a tool for dispute resolution that both the attorney and client must believe in as the most appropriate process for dispute resolution. Negotiation is never to be used as a refuge due to weakness for fear of trial. He also believes that the cornerstone of any effective attorney/client relationship or negotiation is the attorney’s ability to effectively communicate with clients and colleagues. Central to this idea is the development and facilitation of skills geared toward connecting with clients in order to work together as a team.

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In Family Law matters, Frank West Morrison is available to provide prospective clients with a free 20-minute telephone consultation. Prospective clients can call PLDR Law at 434-846-2768 during regular office hours to schedule a phone consultation with Frank Morrison after the firm completes a conflict check.