A Different Approach to Conflict and Divorce
Gabrielle Hartley helps individuals and families navigate divorce, conflict, and major life transitions with greater clarity, structure, and strategic guidance.
For more than twenty-five years, Gabrielle Hartley has worked with individuals, families, attorneys, and complex family systems during periods of uncertainty and conflict.
Her work is grounded in the belief that even difficult situations can be approached more thoughtfully when people have access to structure, experienced guidance, and a clearer understanding of their options.
The focus is not simply resolving disputes, but helping people move through conflict with greater clarity, stability, and long term perspective.
What distinguishes Gabrielle’s approach
Gabrielle is known for helping clients navigate high conflict and emotionally complex situations that often feel difficult to untangle.
Her work combines:
• legal experience
• structured mediation practice
• conflict resolution strategy
• and a calm, practical approach to decision-making
The result is a process designed to reduce unnecessary escalation while helping clients make clearer and more informed decisions during periods of uncertainty.
Early perspective
Gabrielle’s understanding of conflict resolution began early.
As a child, she watched her own parents navigate divorce through mediation, creating a shared parenting plan at a time when collaborative co parenting approaches were far less common.
That experience shaped her long standing belief that conflict, when handled thoughtfully, can lead to more stable and constructive long term outcomes for families.
Over time, Gabrielle also recognized the need for more accessible and structured tools to support parents navigating separation and co parenting transitions.
This led to the creation of Better Parenting Plan, a framework and platform designed to help families and professionals approach parenting agreements with greater clarity, structure, and long term perspective.
Professional experience
Gabrielle began her legal career as a Court Attorney in the New York State Supreme Court, where she clerked for Judge Jeffrey Sunshine and worked closely on high conflict divorce and custody matters.
Over the course of her career, she has worked extensively across mediation, litigation-related matters, settlement conferences, and complex family negotiations involving parenting, financial, and communication challenges.
While much of her work focuses on resolving matters outside of court, she also recognizes that some situations require formal legal intervention and strategic litigation support.
The Better Apart framework
Gabrielle’s work is informed by the Better Apart framework, an approach centered on reducing unnecessary escalation and helping people navigate separation and conflict more constructively.
The framework emphasizes:
• clear communication
• thoughtful decision-making
• long-term family stability
• and more intentional approaches to conflict resolution
This philosophy informs her work across mediation, consultation, speaking, and professional collaboration.
Beyond client work
Gabrielle contributes to broader conversations around conflict, communication, mediation, and modern family systems through speaking engagements, professional leadership roles, media appearances, and published work.
Her experience includes:
• leadership roles within the American Bar Association dispute resolution community
• national media appearances
• conference and panel participation
• and ongoing work focused on improving how people navigate conflict and family transition
Books and published work
Better Apart®
A practical framework for approaching separation and conflict with greater clarity, communication, and long-term perspective.
The Secret to Getting Along
A practical exploration of communication, conflict resolution, and relationship dynamics across personal and professional life.
Work with Gabrielle
If you are navigating conflict, separation, or a complex family situation and want clearer direction on your next steps, begin with a confidential consultation.
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DISCLAIMER: The commentary, advice, and opinions from Gabrielle Hartley are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice or mental health services. You should contact an attorney and/or mental health professional in your state to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.
NYC
900 South Avenue Suite 204 Staten Island, New York 10314
266 Smith Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231
Northampton MA
PHONE
New York: (212) 320-8197
Boston: (413) 450-0420