About Susan E.
Susan E. Guthrie built her legal foundation at the University of Michigan, where she earned a B.A. in English in 1987. She moved on to Wayne State University Law School and received her J.D. in 1990. Those years set the stage for a career split between courtroom work and the quieter work of mediation.
She began practicing as an associate at Gentile & Chiota, LLC in 1990. Over the next decade she deepened her family law experience. In 2001 she became a partner when the firm reorganized as Gentile, Chiota & Guthrie, LLC. That phase of her career combined litigation and client counseling in family law matters.
In 2012 she started the Law Offices of Susan E. Guthrie. The move marked a shift toward practice autonomy. In subsequent years she launched several enterprises that reflect a turn toward alternative dispute resolution and education. La Jolla Mediation Services opened in 2016, followed by Divorce in a Better Way, Inc. in 2018. In 2020 she and a collaborator established Mosten Guthrie Academy, an educational effort aimed at professionals and clients who want clearer paths through family transitions.
Guthrie holds certifications that shape how she works. She is a certified mediator through Mediation Matters. The Connecticut Judicial Branch has certified her as a guardian ad litem and as a lawyer for minor children. Those credentials allow her to serve in appointed roles and in private practice settings where neutral evaluation and child-centered advocacy are needed.
Her professional affiliations trace a steady engagement with the mediation and family law communities. She has been a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts since 2016. She served as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution from 2022 to 2023. From 2019 to 2022 she held a board role with the Southern California Mediation Association.
Guthrie is licensed in Connecticut and California and has balanced regional practice with online services. Her offices have included Breaking Free Mediation, Inc. and CT Family Law Online, reflecting a hybrid approach that combines in-person mediation and virtual programs. Her work spans appointed court roles, private mediation, and education for families and professionals.
Her current practice centers on family mediation, guardian ad litem work, and online family law services.
