About Us

Ceecee Paizs

As a lawyer-mediator, Cecilia "Ceecee" Paizs brings to her mediation sessions her knowledge of the law as well as her experiences in jurisdictions such as Howard County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Montgomery County, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Washington County and Frederick County.  In addition, Ceecee has the unique experience of having practiced in jurisdictions outside of the State of Maryland.  Ceecee joined the Maryland Bar in November of 1980. She was admitted to the Bar in Florida in 1987, and in Virginia in 1992.

Before starting her own practice in 1999, Ceecee gained valuable experience in real estate, contract, personnel, and domestic law, both in the State of Maryland and in other state court systems.  She spent her first six and one half years of mediation working in a co-mediation model with Mike Boyle, a clinical psychologist, as well as mediating on her own.  She has volunteered to facilitate cases for the Howard County Circuit Court, as well as the District Court of Maryland for Howard County’s Alternate Dispute Resolution program.  Her varied work on staff, in her private practice and volunteer experience gives Ceecee a unique and successful approach to mediation.

She completed the MICPEL (Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers, Inc.) training in both Mediation and Domestic Mediation.  She is currently on the staff of MICPEL as an instructor for the 20 hour Property Domestic Mediation and 20 hour Custody Domestic Mediation courses.

Ceecee earned her undergraduate degree in Government from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA in 1977. She continued her education at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, MA, earning her Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 1980, where she was an active member of the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association.  During her third year, she held a national position with the Law Student Division.

Before coming to the Mediation Center, Ceecee gained valuable legal experience while working as an associate at Reinman & Wattwood, P.A. (Formerly Reinman, Harrell, Mitchell & Wattwood, P.A.) in Melbourne, Florida and at Kaufman, Ries & Elgin, P.A. in Towson, Maryland.

In February of 1999, she started her own law practice in Ellicott City, MD, where she concentrates in the area of family law.  She is active with the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland, Inc., a past president and current board member of the Howard County Chapter of the WBA, a member of Maryland State Bar Association Family Law Section and ADR Section, the Howard County Bar Association, the Family Law Committee of the HCBA and the Baltimore County Bar Association, and editor and official photographer for the Howard County Bar Association newsletter, the Barrister.  In addition, Ceecee is member of the Women’s Law Center and the Sunrise Rotary Club of Ellicott City.

John Hayes

John M. Hayes was educated at The Catholic University of America, receiving the Ph.D. in 1977. He has been licensed as a psychologist in Maryland and has practiced in Howard County since 1978. His private practice has been devoted to psychotherapy and psychoanalysis with adults, adolescents and children, as well as group, marital/couples therapy and family counseling. He recieved training in mediation in 1996 and has experience in helping divorcing couples navigate this difficult passage.

Dr. Hayes also serves as Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Maryland Medical School, Affiliate Assistant Professor of Pastoral Counseling in Loyola College's Ph.D. program in pastoral counseling, and is on the faculty of the Washington School of Psychiatry. He is an advanced candidate psychoanalyst at the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute.

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