Oran Kaufman

Guiding Families Toward Resolution with Experience & Compassion

Portrait of a middle-aged man with short dark hair, wearing a blue dress shirt and gold patterned tie, standing in front of a blurred office background.

Oran Kaufman, Esq.

For nearly 40 years, Oran Kaufman has practiced family law. In 1994, he founded Amherst Mediation Services to provide a cost-effective alternative to litigation. His experience in Probate and Family Court led him to see that traditional court proceedings aren’t always the best way to handle divorce. Oran believes mediation empowers individuals by fostering communication, reducing stress, and giving them greater control over their outcomes while minimizing the emotional and financial burdens of legal disputes.

In 2004, Oran expanded his practice to include Collaborative Law, further broadening the options available to clients seeking amicable resolutions to family law matters. His deep commitment to mediation extends beyond his practice—he has served as President of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation (MCFM) and holds certifications with MCFM, the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), and the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM).

Shaping the Future of Mediation Through Leadership & Advocacy

Oran has dedicated his career to advancing the field of mediation through education, training, and legislative initiatives. He co-founded ConflictWorks, an organization that provided conflict resolution training for businesses and organizations. His involvement in family law committees and parent education programs, including co-chairing Parents and Children in Transition and facilitating Only One Childhood, has helped shape best practices in family mediation. He also played a key role in developing Massachusetts legislation for Parenting Coordinators and establishing the conciliation program in the Hampshire County Probate and Family Court.

For over a decade, Oran has been an adjunct professor at Western New England University College of Law, where he teaches family mediation and supervises a Family Mediation Clinic at the Hampden Probate and Family Court. His contributions to the field have been recognized with the Massachusetts Bar Association Community Service Award (2009) and the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation’s John Fiske Award (2014)—an honor particularly meaningful to him, as it is named after his mentor and friend, John Fiske.

With a compassionate and experienced approach, Oran Kaufman remains committed to helping families navigate challenging transitions with dignity, clarity, and respect.

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Educator & Advocate

Oran has participated on multiple panels of continuing legal education seminars, has taught workshops at numerous conferences, and has written many articles on topics related to family mediation and family law.

  • Panelist: "Family Law Motion Practice" - Massachusetts Continuing Education (MCLE) - 1995

    "Settlement Options in Divorce"- (MCLE) - 1996

    "Practical Skills Workshop: Divorce Demystified"- (MCLE) - 1996, 1997, 1999

    "Updating Your Boilerplate"- Massachusetts Bar Association - 1996

    "Mediation for Gay, Lesbian and Unmarried Couples"- Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation Workshop- 1996

    "Drafting Separation Agreements: Can You be Neutral?"- Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation Conference Workshop- 1996

     "Superglue or Velcro: How to Get Unstuck During Mediation"- Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation Conference Workshop- 1998

    "On What Level are We Mediating?"- Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation Conference Workshop-2000

     "The Joy of Conflict"- University of Massachusetts-1998

    "Divorce Mediation Training" 30 hour course- The Mediation and Training Collaborative- 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014

    "To be or not to be… Directive? Transformative?"- Association of Conflict Resolution Family Section Conference- Denver, CO Summer 2003

    "When Disputes Arise"- Alzheimer's Association Conference- May 2006

    "Family Law Mediation Training"- MCLE- July 2008-2014

     "The Joy of Conflict"- Amherst Chamber of Commerce, January 29, 2010

    "Advanced Family Law Mediation Training"- MCLE- May 7, 2013

    "What's Fair Got to Do with It"- MCFM -November 2015

    "Beyond Divorce: Contemporary Issues of Family Mediation"- MCLE November 2010

    "Mandatory Mediation is Not an Oxymoron- AFCC- May 2017

    "Cutting Edge Issues in Western Massachusetts Family Law Practice 2018- March 2018