Who We Are

Mary Anne Decaria

Many years ago, I elected to limit my practice to primarily family law. This was a conscious decision on my part and not one born of necessity. At the time we narrowed our practice to family law, Gary Silverman and I enjoyed a thriving general practice. We handled a diverse assortment of civil matters including personal injury, medical malpractice, contracts, mechanic's liens, construction law, collection law, wills, estates, guardianships and the like.

Family law, however, holds special appeal and I find it to be the most personally satisfying area of practice for two reasons. First, I enjoy working closely with people. It is the one area of law where I may be a positive influence at one of the most emotionally trying events in a person's life: The end of a marriage.

A good lawyer will zealously represent her client's interests without unnecessarily increasing or engendering animosity. A poor lawyer will mistake aggression for effective advocacy. Intelligent representation, thorough understanding of the applicable law and of the facts of the case, combined with common sense and compassion are what make a good family lawyer. Those are the qualities I strive for.

The second reason I chose family practice is because of the diversity of issues presented. My cases require of me a broad range of expertise and are always interesting. In any given case, besides needing a complete understanding of community property, custody and support law, I must know accounting and valuation principles, the law of real property, pensions, liens, notes and security, tort, contract, collections, conflicts of laws, jurisdiction, evidence, procedure, discovery and the like. I work with a variety of professionals such as appraisers, accountants, physicians, psychologists, and valuators.

I formerly served as Chair of the State Bar of Nevada Northern Disciplinary Board overseeing the discipline of attorneys in northern Nevada. I am an arbitrator in the Court Appointed Arbitration program in Washoe, Carson and Douglas Counties, hearing many types of cases, and I previously served as a member of the State Bar of Nevada Northern Fee Dispute Panel. I am a mediator.

My bar related efforts have focused on improving the standards of family practice in this state. For six years, I served on the Executive Council of the State Bar of Nevada Family Law Section. I served as Course Director of the Annual Family Law Seminar the section conducts each spring. Under my tutelage, the seminar grew tremendously and now enjoys a statewide and national reputation for providing the highest quality family law education. On a smaller scale, I have organized and moderated quarterly brown bag lunches in Washoe County, offering continuing legal education and interaction between bench and bar, all of which enhances the services to the public provided by court and counsel.

I write a column for the Washoe County Bar Association publication, the "Writ," educating the local bar as to the recent cases and developments in family law. I have contributed articles to the State Bar of Nevada publication, Nevada Lawyer@ and the "Nevada Family Law Report" and have lectured on family law issues. I act as mentor to lawyers, new and old, who have family law questions.

Pro Bono work is a privilege, not an obligation, so I routinely handle Pro Bono cases. Volunteer Lawyers honored Silverman, Decaria & Kattelman as the 1996, 1997 and 2005 firm of the year. I do what I can to help Volunteer Lawyers, including dispensing legal advise on "Make a Difference Day" and speaking at training sessions. I served as President on the Board of Directors of Volunteer Lawyers of Washoe County.

I served on the Nevada Supreme Court Bench/Bar Committee and was also a member of the Supreme Court NRCP 16.2 Committee, which rewrote the rules to conform to family law. I was a member of the Family Court Rules Committee and the 1992 and 1996 Child Support Statute Review Committees. I am a fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, where I serve on the editorial board of the AAML Journal.

I grew up in Ogden, Utah and attended the University of Utah, where I graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in English. I went to law school at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington, graduating cum laude in 1981. I moved to Reno, where I worked as a law clerk for the Hon. John W. Barrett, a district court judge in the Second Judicial District Court, Washoe County, Nevada. Gary Silverman and I have practiced law together since 1982.