Joel B. Wilson has been a practicing attorney since 2001 and a mediator since 2005. He graduated from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, simultaneously earning his Law Degree and a Masters Degree in Social Work, then receiving a graduate Certificate in Non-Profit leadership. Mr. Wilson has focused his practice in Satellite Beach solely on Family Law matters such as divorce, paternity, custody and parenting time disputes, child support, alimony, modifications, and relocations. Mr. Wilson first worked with the boutique Family Law Firm of Niemi, Barr & Jerabek, P.A. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was proud to represent a wide range of clients, from those with multi-million dollar and complex business holdings to those with too much “month at the end of their money”. He was recognized for his excellence as a “Rising Star” by Minnesota Law and Politics Magazine, and despite his youth was twice placed on the short list for consideration as a Minnesota “Super Lawyer”. No stranger to the courtroom, Mr. Wilson litigated more cases than he cares to count and has made oral arguments before the Minnesota Court of Appeals four times.
Seeing first-hand the impact of litigation and the adversarial court system on families and children, he committed to finding a better way to help families resolve their legal disputes. Mr. Wilson was trained in the Collaborative Divorce method by its founder, Mr. Stu Webb. Designed to foster honesty, openness, and mutual respect, Collaborative Divorce has been helping couples resolve family law disputes since 1990, and is currently used in all 50 States. Mr. Wilson co-founded and was the past President of the Collaborative Association of Brevard, a non-profit organization that has trained 55 local attorneys, financial planners, and mental health professionals in the Collaborative Divorce process. Virtually all of the Collaborative cases completed in Brevard County have done so without a single contested court hearing or trial.
Having discovered a talent for handling complex emotions and difficult negotiations, Mr. Wilson refined those skills by becoming a Supreme Court of Florida Certified Family Mediator and Appellate Mediator. He handles private mediations and is also a contract mediator with the Brevard County Family Mediation Office at the Viera courthouse. A substantial portion of Mr. Wilson’s current practice is Family Mediation, and he is humbled that hundreds of couples have allowed him to help them resolve their disputes through mediation – saving the time, emotional turmoil, and unnecessary expense of a trial.
Mr. Wilson is currently a member of the prestigious Vassar B. Carlton American Inn of Court, the Florida Bar Association, the Brevard County Bar Association, and the International Association of Collaborative Professionals. He teaches Continuing Legal Education courses on the topics of Mediation and Collaborative Divorce.
Joel is the proud father of three sons and one daughter, and is astounded at his good fortune to be married to Dr. Tara Forcier, M.D., a partner at Pediatrics in Brevard, who grew up in the Melbourne area. Together they serve as the President and Health and Safety Advisor of the Brevard Beachside Soccer Club.
