Claire Hartwell

Claire has practised family law in Portland for almost twenty years. Before founding Hartwell she spent eight years at a large litigation firm, where she learned how to prepare a case for trial and how rarely trial is the best answer.

Today she splits her time between complex divorces, where there is a business, a pension or a house to divide, and mediation, where she helps couples reach the agreement themselves. Clients describe her as calm, direct and very hard to rush.

Outside the office

Claire volunteers with a legal clinic for parents who represent themselves, and teaches a yearly class on financial disclosure for new family lawyers.