Danielle A. Smith

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Biography

Danielle A. Smith's focuses on family law, divorce, analyzing the financial and psychological impact of divorce, collaborative practice, facilitative mediation, child custody, child support, visitation rights, paternity, step-parent adoption proceedings and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Her background includes commercial litigation, residential and commercial leases and employment contracts.

Guiding philosophy

Smith’s background in social work is tantamount to family law. She encourages divorcing clients to “take the high road” and “never fail to consider children.” She focuses on helping families restructure their relationships and assisting children with the adjustment.

Background

Smith, a trained facilitative mediator and collaborative divorce attorney, was formerly with Dykema Gossett PLLC of Southeastern Michigan. Prior to studying law, Smith worked as a social worker with victims of domestic violence. She also assisted adolescents and adults living in shelters with issues such as low self-esteem, family difficulties and school truancy. She conducted groups of at-risk new mothers with drug and alcohol addiction and assisted young children exposed to physical and sexual abuse.

Memberships & Honors

Smith is the current president of the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan; a current supporting Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation; a member of the American Bar Association – Family and Alternative Dispute Sections; Oakland County Bar Association – Family Court Committee and Alternative Dispute Sections; Michigan Inter-Professional Association on Marriage, Divorce and Family - Oakland County; Michigan Council for Family and Divorce Mediation - Wayne County Chapter; Women Lawyer’s Association of Michigan - Wayne County Chapter; and Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association.

Smith spoke on family law to incoming lawyers for the federal bar, New Lawyers Seminar, Nov. 2007, Nov. 2004, and Nov. 2003; in 2007, she spoke on the issues of child custody and collaborative practice for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (“ICLE”); she received the Freeman Fellowship Award for International Law Studies, Wayne State University Law School, 1995.