About Amato Family Law

Family law issues bring with them intense emotions which can cloud judgment and hamper decision-making.

Susan has the experience necessary to guide you through the legal issues you face and help you focus on the future.

Our only focus is resolving family law matters outside of court.

After decades as a successful litigator, collaborative attorney and divorce mediator, Susan now focuses her work exclusively with families who are committed to resolving their disputes with a problem solving focus, outside of court, through use of non-contested, mediation or collaborative processes.

Susan is a recognized trailblazer in mediation and collaborative family law, on the forefront of introducing, developing and utilizing these methods in the St. Louis legal arena. Susan provides top-notch conflict resolution services focused on the well-being of the family and an unwavering commitment to successful resolution for her clients in all family law matters.

Susan Amato is a recognized leader in mediation and collaborative family law in St. Louis. After nearly a decade as a litigator and mediator, she founded Amato Family Law in 1992 to create a practice centered on problem-solving rather than litigation. Having witnessed the difficulty and anguish that traditional courtroom battles caused families, she became a trailblazer in collaborative family law, determined to offer a healthier, more constructive path forward. Today, she works exclusively with families who are committed to resolving disputes without going to court.

Susan is widely respected as one of the early voices introducing and developing collaborative law and mediation in the St. Louis legal community. She is known for her dedication to conflict resolution and for her ability to guide clients toward solutions that are constructive and lasting.

Honors and Recognition

• Named for many years by St. Louis Magazine and U.S. News as a Best Lawyer in Collaborative Family Law and Family Law Mediation
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in America as “Lawyer of the Year” in Collaborative Law (2015, 2019-2025) and Family Law Mediation (2016-2025)
• Recipient of the Missouri Lawyer’s Media Women in the Law Citizenship Award (2009)
• Holds the Martindale Hubbell “AV” Peer Review Rating, reflecting the highest level of professional excellence

Professional Leadership

• Founding President, Collaborative Family Law Association of St. Louis (also served as Treasurer, Board Member, and President in 2017–2018)
• Advanced Practitioner Member, Family Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution
• Certified Advanced Practitioner, Academy of Professional Family Mediators
• Member, St. Louis County Circuit Court Mediation and Parenting Coordination Oversight Committee (2024–2025)
• Member, Association for Missouri Mediators, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
• Active member of the Missouri Bar Association, the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Missouri, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, and the Women Lawyers’ Association

Education

• B.A., St. Lawrence University
• J.D., Washington University School of Law in St. Louis

Speaking and Teaching

Susan is a frequent speaker on mediation, collaborative law, and family law issues, sharing her knowledge with both legal professionals and community organizations.

Whether you are involved in a straightforward, uncontested divorce, work in a mediation or a collaborative process, or require contested litigation, the professionals at Amato Family Law will work as a team to provide you with effective and efficient representation through your family law matter. Our staff is available to assist you through routine matters and our attorneys have the experience to guide you through the most complex of family law matters