Lawyer takes effort to help divorcing couples to the air

There are those who believe things happen for a reason. Fate, they call it.

There are others who believe in happy accidents. That's serendipity.

And so it is one or the other, either fate or serendipity, that brings us our tale today.

Margaret Pickard is a lawyer. She is divorced. She has a pleasant, feminine voice and an outgoing demeanor.

All of these things are important to her story.

Pickard is 43 years old and has taught at universities in several states, including at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

She specializes in family law. She has been involved in divorce mediation and counseling for most of her career.

Several years ago, she moved to Las Vegas. She joined UNLV's continuing education department, where she teaches in the paralegal program.

Then last year, she created a cooperative parenting course there.

The course focused on teaching divorced or divorcing parents how best to deal with their situations, and with each other, without harming the children.

She maintains that there is a great need for such a course. Divorce can devastate a child, particularly when the divorce is less than amicable.

Sparring spouses will sometimes cut each other down in front of the children. They'll use the kids as tools to hurt. They'll get revenge.

"Our kids are going into crisis mode," she said. "They naturally blame themselves for divorce."

Their parents usually do not intend to hurt the children, often do not realize they are doing it. But their anger gets ahold of them and off they go.

So, the course. Though it is no panacea, it can help solve those problems.

Not long ago, Pickard pitched the program to officials at Clark County's Family Court. One of its goals is to keep divorced or divorcing people from filing motions back and forth, clogging up the court system, further deteriorating the relationship and, too often, filling the coffers of attorneys while draining the bank accounts of their clients.

The program's focus is always on how to protect the children. It runs for eight weeks and cost $299.

Excellent idea, these officials said.

"When Margaret Pickard came in ... we just jumped for joy," Family Court Judge Jennifer Elliott said.

Elliott used to run a company that focused on helping divorced couples keep the children safe and sane. She was elected to the bench in 2002.

She said there is a great need for effective programs like the one Pickard got going.

So, it became an official part of the Family Court system. Judges can and do send couples in conflict to it.

Elliott said it has been successful.

"They're doing a really good job down there," she said. She said she just wishes there were more room. Almost all divorcing couples could benefit from it.

So, things were working out for Pickard. She wanted to spread the word. She wanted more people to be aware of the program.

Which is when fate sent Jamie Osborn in with a barrel full of good luck.

Osborn is 48. He has never been married, but is the child of divorce. He thinks he might have remained single because of the effects of that long ago divorce.

He has adopted eight children from the foster care system. He knows a thing or two about family conflict.

He also happens to be the creative services guy at KDWN-720, a local AM radio station. He hosts a public affairs program that focuses on community issues and events.

He heard about Pickard's program at UNLV and invited her on his radio show to talk about it.

This was back in February. They hit it off. They talked afterward. Osborn said something like, hey, you should be doing a weekly call-in radio show. The public already has Dr. Laura. Now they need a divorce doctor.

Pickard liked the idea. Osborn pitched it to the bosses, and they liked it too.

The program, which they're calling "The Ask Margaret Show," began in March. It airs on Sunday nights at 6 and runs for an hour. Pickard answers questions from callers, using her expertise, her knowledge of local programs and her experience as a divorced mom to help them through their own situations. Osborn runs the radio gizmos and chimes in now and again.

"She's the star," Osborn said. "I drive the bus."

The show has no commercials; its primary sponsor is the paralegal program in UNLV's continuing education department, the home of the original cooperative parenting course.

Dan Barber, co-developer of the paralegal program, said he saw a need in the community and so has no problems spending money from the department's marketing budget to get the word out. The paralegal studies program, like all of continuing education, receives no state tax money. It is self-supporting through course fees.

He said it's the first time they've ever sponsored a radio show. It's unclear how long the sponsorship will last.

If it's up to Pickard and Osborn, it'll last forever.

"Within the next 90 days," said Osborn, "we'll be as big as Dr. Laura."

He was joking. Kind of.

He and Pickard do have dreams of syndication, a national audience, offering advice from coast to coast.

"That's our hope. That's our dream," Pickard said. "To reach out to everybody."

It could happen, whether by fate or by happy accident.

Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.