About Mediation & Collaborative Law Services

Ms. McHugh is a sole practitioner in Frederick and Washington Counties, Maryland, concentrating her practice in matrimonial law and mediation. Ms. McHugh is a court appointed mediator for Frederick and Washington Counties, Maryland and is the “in-house” mediator for the Frederick County Circuit Court.

Prior to moving to Maryland in 2002, Ms. McHugh had a private practice in Doylestown, Pennsylvania for ten years which she served a court appointed mediator in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Ms. McHugh continues to keep her Pennsylvania attorney’s license active.

Ms. McHugh received her B.A. (1980) in psychology and her M.A. (1981) in counseling psychology from the University of Connecticut and her J.D. (1992) from Temple University Law School. Ms. McHugh worked as a psychotherapist prior to beginning law school in a variety of treatment centers and treatment modalities. This background, along with her years of experience as an attorney, gives her a unique understanding and approach to the divorce and mediation process. Ms. McHugh is a member of the American Bar Association, the Frederick County Bar Association, the Washington County Bar Association, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution (MCDR) and the Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence (MPME)

Additionally, Ms. McHugh is certified by The Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution (mcdr.org). The Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution (MCDR) is one of the few credentialing entities in the entire country that certifies mediators based upon the mediator’s demonstrated performance. MCDR is the oldest mediation practitioner group in Maryland and has been certifying mediators for over 15 years. Over that period of time, MCDR has refined its certification process and has been used by the circuits courts in Maryland to assess mediators. MCDR certified mediators have demonstrated outstanding skills.