I provide divorce mediation services for all cities and towns in Essex County. With over 1,800 Massachusetts divorces successfully mediated, I am familiar with the Essex County Probate and Family Court, its judges, its procedures, and its filing requirements.
All sessions are conducted via Zoom — no need to travel to an office. I prepare every court document and mail them to you with signing instructions and a pre-addressed envelope to the correct courthouse. Most couples complete mediation in two sessions. For a detailed walkthrough, see our mediation service page.
Essex County is located in northeastern Massachusetts, bordered by New Hampshire to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Suffolk and Middlesex Counties to the south, and Middlesex County to the west. With a population of approximately 809,000, the county seat is Salem.
Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, West Newbury
Call Julia Rueschemeyer at 413-253-7484 to discuss divorce mediation in Essex County. All sessions via Zoom. I prepare every court document. Schedule an appointment online.
Essex County has one Probate and Family Court location.
For a statewide directory, see Where to File for Divorce in Massachusetts. For a statewide overview, see Divorce Mediation in Massachusetts.
Address: 36 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 744-1020
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Virtual Registry (Zoom): M-F 8-4:30
Parking: Metered street parking. Municipal parking lots and garages within walking distance.
| Role | Name | Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Judge | Hon. Mary Rudolph Black | 2017 |
| Judge | Hon. Frances M. Giordano | 2014 |
| Judge | Hon. Caryn Mitchell-Munevar | 2024 |
| Judge | Hon. Evelyn Patsos | 2025 |
| Judge | Hon. Jennifer Marie Rivera-Ulwick | 2012 |
| Judge | Hon. Michelle A. Yee | 2024 |
| Register of Probate | Pamela Casey O’Brien |
Judicial assignments are subject to change. Confirm with the court registry.
Essex County spans two very different worlds. The North Shore communities — Marblehead, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Hamilton, Wenham, Boxford, Andover — include some of the wealthiest towns in Massachusetts, where high-asset divorces involve investment portfolios, trust funds, and multi-property ownership. The Merrimack Valley cities — Lawrence, Haverhill, Methuen — have large immigrant communities and working families for whom the cost savings of mediation over litigation can be life-changing.
I serve both ends of this spectrum with equal expertise. For high-asset cases, I bring tools like our stock options and RSU calculator and the ability to calculate pension present values during our first session. For working families, I offer transparent flat-fee pricing that makes professional mediation accessible.
Essex County residents in Haverhill, Amesbury, and other northern towns face a 30-45 minute drive to the Salem courthouse — making Zoom mediation especially valuable. You won’t need to make that trip until your brief final hearing.
If you and your spouse last lived together in any Essex County town and at least one of you still lives here, you must file in Essex County. For complete filing rules, see our where to file guide. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our uncontested divorce filing guide. The filing fee is $215.
Looking for information specific to your city? See our city-specific guides:
Use these free tools to understand your financial picture before your first mediation session:
I mediate divorces throughout Massachusetts. See also our Divorce Mediation in Massachusetts overview.