Families First Mediation FAQ's

Divorce mediation is an alternative dispute resolution method for couples seeking fair, effective, and less costly divorce.
Considering Divorce? Explore Mediation with Families First Mediation
Get your Free consultation with Families First Mediation. Our (20+ years) experienced mediators can help you decide if mediation is the right for your divorce and guide you toward a successful divorce resolution.

No, mediation is not mandatory for divorce in California. However, a few family court counties require custody mediation before you have a court hearing on custody.
Mediation is a great tool to navigate your divorce effectively, and should be considered as a first option before pursuing traditional options like litigation.

Usually, mediation takes place in a neutral setting where spouses may communicate effectively.
Below are the settings where mediation takes place:
• Law office;
• Mediation centers;
• Community centers or rental office spaces; and
• Video conferencing platforms (online mediation).
At Families First Mediation, we use Zoom to meet our clients, from the initial consultation to the final session.

Divorce Mediation can be helpful for the divorcing couples in these ways:
Less Stress: Mediation is less stressful as both spouses collaborate and reach a mutually agreeable decision
Lower Costs: Mediation is a more affordable option ($5000 – $15000). In a litigation case, you can expect to pay $50,000.00 plus per person.
Confidential: Mediation is confidential, unlike court hearings that are public record.

Once you and your spouse have decided to get a divorce, you can start mediation at any time. Even if you have already begun your divorce proceedings, either on your own or with the assistance of an attorney, you may pivot to mediation at any point.
Schedule a free consultation with Families First Mediation now If you have planned a divorce through mediation.

Usually, each spouse pays half of the mediation cost. But spouses can any of the following four scenarios:
Scenario #1: (The most common) both parties (50-50%) contribute equally to mediation costs.
Scenario #2: Each spouse contributes differently to mediation expenses in proportion to each individual’s income.
Scenario #3: If both spouses agree, one of them can also pay the entire cost.
Scenario #4: Couples use their marital assets, savings, or co-owned items to pay costs.

Families First Mediation ensures a neutral environment in this way:
• Equality: We ensure both parties have equal opportunities to participate in dialogue.
• Transparency: We ensure that all substantive communication must include both parties.
• Personal Beliefs: Our neutral mediators, being professional, keep their personal beliefs aside from mediation.
• Impartiality: We never take sides with any party like the lawyer in the court does.
However, Families First Mediators empower couples like you to reach the best agreement.
Contact us now to schedule your free consultation.

Yes, you can leave mediation anytime!
It’s a voluntary process, unlike the court hearings. If you feel a biased environment or mediator, you can leave it and try other mediators or alternate dispute resolution methods.
However, it would only be best to leave mediation once you reach an agreement with your husband or wife on all divorce matters.
Try Families First Mediation and pave your way to a successful and productive divorce under affordable options.

Yes, mediation is worth it when you want to avoid the stress of court. It can save you thousands of dollars and provides better solutions:
• Spouses save money and time:
• Spouses control the outcome:
• Mediation fosters privacy and confidentiality:
• Mediation offers flexibility:
• Mediation reduces conflict and offers post-divorce stability
Families First Mediation helps couples construct a quality, long lasting agreement that will grow and change with your changing family dynamics.

If you do start mediation and decide that it is not a right fit for your divorce, you can terminate your mediation agreement and pivot to one of the following different divorce methods:
• Revisiting Mediation
• Litigation
• Collaborative divorce or arbitration
At Families First Mediation, we work hard to offer other solutions for a couple having a hard time reaching an agreement before that couple would have to pursue litigation.

Divorce can be a stressful and difficult time for everyone involved. Your mediator will help to keep your sessions productive and respectful even while discussing tense subjects. Here are some tips for spouses to have respectful communication during mediation:
Active Listening: Spouses can practice active listening to foster better communication.
Clarity: Divorcing individuals need to attend sessions with clarity on their goals.
Ground Rules: Both spouses need to follow ground rules.

With Families First Mediation, our clients do not have to appear in court for any reason. We use Zoom for our consultations and sessions. We use a “shared folder” to upload documents and notes. We will send any forms that require a signature through email.

Mediators use 3 different styles/ models depending on the family’s needs, formality, and outcomes. These are as follows:
Facilitative Mediation: This less formal process is conducted in a private conference room. The Facilitator facilitates communication among couples without giving their opinions.
Transformative Mediation: It helps couples transform problematic communication patterns, emotional challenges, and underlying conflicts.
Evaluative Mediation: It is used to evaluate a couple’s problems and suggest legal solutions. The Evaluative mediators express their opinions and suggestions regarding the issues.
This allows couples to work from the comfort of their homes, and for more flexibility when scheduling.

The number of sessions for couples (from simple to complex divorces) may vary, excluding certain factors (complexities, mediator’s experience, etc.). We have listed average number of sessions based on case nature:
• Simple cases: 3 – 5 sessions;
• Mid-size cases: 4 – 8 sessions; and
• Highly complex cases: 8 – 12+ sessions.
Our couples at Families First Mediation reach a fair settlement in just 4 – 6 sessions on average, each session lasting 2 hours.

Yes, your mediation agreement will be legally binding.
However, final court approval is required to make your agreement (MSA) legally enforceable. A mediator drafts an agreement and then hands it over to spouses for review.
If spouses sign an MSA after reviewing, it becomes a legally binding agreement. Then, the mediator submits an MSA to a Private Judge, who is also hired by your mediator, in order to review and file your agreement.
Finally, once the agreement (MSA) is filed, it becomes a legally enforceable court order.

Divorce mediation cost may vary depending upon several factors (case complexities, mediator’s experience, etc.) The following are the costs of mediation process:
• For simpler cases: $3,000 –$5000
• For moderately complex cases: $5,000 to $10,000
• For complex cases: $10,000 – $20, 000

Several factors influence the number of mediation sessions (from simple to complex cases). A few out of them are:
• Legal complexities and communication dynamics;
• Information gathering;
• Mediator’s experience; and
• Conflict level in (your) case.

Mediation is a voluntary process that requires equal participation of both parties to reach a fair agreement. You cannot force your spouse to participate.
Mediation works best if both spouses are willing to cooperate for an amicable divorce.
If you cannot convince your spouse to mediation, you have to consider other options, like divorce litigation.

At Families First Mediation, we have the following structured process that can be broken down into different stages:
Stage #1: Introduction:
 The mediator introduces spouses to the mediation process and her role.
Stage #2: Information Gathering:
 At this stage, the mediator collects relevant facts and gathers information related to financials (such as last pay stubs)
Stage #3: Framing the Issues:
 The mediator identifies the issues and underlying causes behind disagreements.
Stage #4: Negotiation:
 At the negotiation stage, the mediator helps spouses negotiate and settle issues.
Stage #5 Finalization:
 Attorney mediators draft the MSA, which both spouses sign after reviewing. This makes the agreement legally binding.