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.
How Mediation Is Helpful For You:
- Less Stress: Divorce litigation can be stressful, causing trauma and tension in an already difficult situation. While in mediation, both spouses will be encouraged to collaborate and will feel educated and confident about the decisions that are being made. Our goal is to allow couples to work together in a transparent and respectful setting and to feel confident in the decisions they are making.
- Lower Costs: Mediation is an affordable ($5000 – $15000) option. In a litigation case you are paying for multiple attorneys and court appearances which can add up quickly.
Confidential: Court hearings are public record which is why many celebrities and public figures choose mediation for divorce. - Resolves All Conflicts: You will leave mediation with a quality agreement that will not only resolve issues for today, but will withstand the changing dynamics and issues that may arise in the future as well. The property division, separate and community property, parenting plans, child and spousal support, future support modifications and more based on your needs will be resolved through mediation sessions.
Depending upon the individual’s situation, the mediator may discuss the following topics during the consultation:
- What do you understand about mediation, and what are your expectations?
- How long have you been married?
- Have you filed any court documents yet?
- Are you employed, and what assets do you have?
- Do you have minor children?
- What kind of custody arrangements are you looking for?
- How are you dealing with emotions related to the decision to divorce? If necessary the mediator can recommend a therapist to help process the emotions of going through a divorce.
- What are the other issues you want to discuss or prioritize?
Divorce Mediation:
- Mediation is confidential.
- Both spouses work with one mediator.
- A typical Families First Mediation divorce takes about 4-6 months
- Couples in mediation are willing to work together.
- It costs around $5000 – $15,000+.
- It leads to post-divorce stability.
Divorce Litigation:
- Divorce Litigation is a non-confidential process.
- Each spouse has a different attorney.
- Court battles take years to get a final divorce judgment.
- Most high-conflict divorces end up litigating
- It costs around $30,000 – $100,000+.
- It can lead to more tension and post-divorce conflict.
No, at Families First Mediation couples get a free consultation with a mediator.
Doesn’t a divorce in California feel like an emotional storm or financial tight ropewalk? Of course, it is!
But you deserve a better (divorce) ending. So, take support from Families First Mediation by scheduling a Free Video Consultation and experience a calmer, more affordable, and faster path to closure.
Yes, a free video consultation meeting can be a win-win tool for both you and your mediator. For a mediator? Yes, it helps Families First Mediation mediators know about your situation and goals. The Families First Mediation mediators allow you to ask questions, and understand the mediation process. Further benefits of no-cost consultation with Families First Mediation are as follows:
- You can learn about their fees and fee structures (hourly and retainer).
- You can learn about a mediator’s style, approach, communication, and expertise.
- Couples can ask specific questions regarding custody proposals, visitation schedules, employee benefits accounts, retirement accounts, property division, etc.
At Families First Mediation, our mediators are attorneys. When mediating a divorce, the mediator works with both parties as a neutral third party as opposed to the traditional family law attorney who will represent one client.
Mediation:
- Number of Mediators: One mediator
- Cost: This can vary from affordable to expensive depending on the mediator’s qualifications and the complexity of the case.
- Case Level: Suitable for both simple and complex cases.
Co-mediation:
- Number of Mediators: Involves two or more mediators.
- Cost: Often falls on the expensive side due to the involvement of multiple mediators and potentially more extensive expertise.
- Case Level: Primarily designed for highly complex disputes where having multiple perspectives and skills can be beneficial.
In Co-mediation, two mediators work together to resolve disputes among spouses. With co-mediation, parties get the expertise of two mediators, and these mediators share their knowledge, experience, and skills to reach the outcome. However, co-mediation involves higher costs associated with more mediators participating in the process.
It also requires mediators to work exceptionally well with one another; otherwise, the parties will likely get confused.
Both alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods resolve marital disputes outside of the court. Below are the differences between mediation and arbitration:
- Mediator vs. Arbitrator: Mediators, third-party professionals, facilitate communication in divorce, while arbitrators (often retired judges) preside over hearings and make decisions.
- Decisions: The mediator does not make any decision in the settlement between couples. In contrast, the arbitrator hears the arguments, sees the evidence, and issues a filing ruling.
- Adversarial: Mediation is less adversarial than court-like arbitration.
- Cost: Mediation is less expensive. On the other hand, arbitration is a formal and costly process.
No, generally, you don’t have to appear in court for mediation. Rather, divorce mediation is popular for getting couples a divorce without having to go to court. A divorce mediator will educate couples on their options and help them resolve issues in this alternate dispute-resolution process.
Once you reach a settlement agreement with your spouse, your mediator will submit The Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA) to a private judge for filing.
No, A mediator neither controls the outcome nor makes decisions for both parties. If you are considering mediating your divorce, schedule your free video consultation with Families First Mediation mediators who have 20+ years of experience and have helped 10000+ couples through the divorce process.
A mediator is a third-party professional facilitating fair communication and negotiation between spouses.
Our mediators will educate and empower couples to create a quality divorce agreement that they both feel comfortable with. While in traditional divorces, the outcomes and decisions are judge-imposed. Mediating your divorce puts you in control of your outcome.
Usually, each spouse pays half of the mediation cost. But there can be other scenarios, too. Let’s take a look at the scenarios:
- Scenario #1: (The most common) Both parties equally (50-50%) contribute to divorce 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 the mediation costs.
The mediator will meet with both spouses together. The mediator is a neutral third party, so to keep confidence and trust in the mediation process, it is important that the parties know what is being communicated to the mediator. For this reason, the mediator will ask that all communications (including email and phone) happen in a way that both parties are aware of.
In rare cases the mediator may ask or allow both parties to agree to individual meetings, and will meet with each party for a designated period of time that the other spouse will also get. This is usually when there is a point of high conflict.
At Families First Mediation we take great pride in our ability to resolve difficult matters for our clients and will work with both parties to make sure that our couples feel comfortable and understood through the divorce process.
You can easily find a qualified divorce mediator near you. You will want to research your options and learn about their experience, credentials, qualifications, fees, and reviews. You want to make sure that you choose the one that best aligns with your needs.
Once you have a few options selected, you can contact them to schedule a free video consultation to discuss your case and get to know the mediator’s approach.
Here are a few steps to find a qualified divorce mediator near you:
- Go to a search engine such as Google or Yahoo and enter your query in the search box (Divorce Mediator + near me or your area). The search engine will show you several results.
- Reach out to Family Attorneys who provide remote mediation services
- Ask for referrals from friends and family members (who have mediated in the near past)
- Read and review the testimonials of mediators.
At Families First Mediation we have a structured process that we will use to guide you through your divorce. The process can be broken down into different stages:
- Stage #1: Introduction
The mediator at the 1st stage introduces you to the mediation process, her role, and what you can expect during your mediation sessions. - Stage #2: Information Gathering
Here, the mediator collects relevant facts and gathers information related to financials (such as last pay stubs, W-2s, profit and loss statements, bank and retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, etc.) - Stage #3: Framing the Issues
The neutral mediator focuses on identifying the issues at which disagreement exists and the underlying causes behind the disagreement. - Stage #4: Negotiation
The mediator in this phase helps spouses negotiate and settle issues besides ensuring that one spouse’s gains should not become the other spouse’s loss. - Stage #5: Finalization
Attorney mediators draft The Marital Settlement Agreement. Both couples sign the agreement document after reviewing it. This way, the agreement becomes legally binding.
The Following are the differences between private mediation and court-ordered mediation:
- Private mediation is a private process that couples voluntarily opt for. While in court-ordered mediation, the court sponsors it as an alternative to litigation before proceeding with the case.
- Private mediation is flexible as couples decide on a mediator that aligns with their family needs. However, in court-sponsored mediation, the court chooses the mediator.
- In private mediation, mediation experts don’t have to submit the reports of this confidential process to the court. On the other hand, the court-ordered mediator submits reports to the court, making it less confidential.
Yes, you are right. Your mediation agreement will be legally binding.
However, final court approval is required to make your agreement legally enforceable. The attorney mediator drafts an agreement describing the terms of the settlement. Then, the mediator hands over the MSA to the couples for review.
Each party reviews it thoroughly to understand the terms and implications of it. Once both parties become satisfied, they sign the agreement in the presence of an attorney-mediator, making it a legally binding agreement.
Your attorney mediator then submits it to California family Court. The court may review the following things in it:
- Fairness
- Voluntariness of couples
- Completeness and clarity
- Compliance with state laws
After approving your agreement, the court integrates the agreement into your final divorce decree, which turns the agreement into a legally enforceable court order.
A mediation cannot lead couples to a fair divorce until your mediator is neutral. So, find a neutral mediator having these qualities:
- Neutral environment: Families First Mediation mediators always provide the neutral environment to spouses for open and honest discussion.
- Equal opportunities: Our impartial Families First Mediators ensure both parties have equal opportunities to participate and dialogue.
- Gifts: A neutral mediator does not take or give gifts (from/to divorcing spouses).
- Personal behavior and beliefs: The neutral mediators at Families First Mediation are highly professional and keep their personal beliefs aside from mediation.
- Advocacy: A neutral mediator never sides with any party like the lawyer in the court does.
The most important decision is how you will divorce (mediation or court battles). Sometimes, even strong court cases incur huge costs and take years.
No, mediation is not mandatory for divorce in California. 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
Below are some other options for obtaining a divorce:
- Do it yourself using a program like The Complete Divorce
- Litigation
- Collaborative Divorce
- Arbitration
The number of sessions for couples (from simple to complex divorces) may vary, excluding certain factors (complexities, mediator’s experience, etc.). The couples may require the following number of sessions to obtain a divorce:
- Simple cases: 3 – 5 sessions
- Mid-size cases: 4 – 8 sessions
- Highly complex cases: 8 – 12+ sessions
- Fair Settlement in 4 – 6 sessions on average
- Sessions last 2 hours each
- More effective than litigated divorces
- Litigated divorces take years, and add financial stress
Several factors that influence the number of mediation sessions (from simple to complex cases) are:
- Information gathering
- Mediator’s experience
- Conflict level in your case
- Assets
- If there are parenting issues to discuss
- Legal complexities and communication dynamics
- The complexity of the issues
As long as both couples are willing participants, mediation can benefit couples with varying degrees of complexity and financial complication. Mediation can be used by couples with very simple cases, all the way to the most complicated.
You may not engage in mediation without your spouse, and your spouse must comply voluntarily to participate in the mediation process. Check out Families First Mediation blog on ‘How to Tell Your Spouse You Want a Divorce’, for tips.
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: Whether it is a collaborative or court divorce, both typically cost much more than mediation.
- Spouses control the outcome: Mediation empowers spouses to decide for themselves and their children.
- Mediation fosters privacy and confidentiality: Mediated sessions are confidential, unlike court hearings that are public.
- Mediation offers flexibility: Mediation is convenient as you and your spouse set your time and pace around your schedule.
- Reduced conflict and post-divorce stability: Mediated divorces are more successful in the long run. Families First Mediation helps couples construct a quality, long lasting agreement that will grow and change with your changing family dynamics.
The Families First Mediation mediators take on the following roles:
- Communication: The mediators foster creative and neutral communication between parties.
- Issues: Our mediators use problem-solving skills to identify issues that can create future problems.
- Other Professionals: The mediators take other professionals’ (financial divorce advisors, therapists, mental health professionals, etc.) help to deal with complex financial and emotional issues if needed.
- Retirement division and equalization: Our mediators also assist with retirement division and equalization.
- Calculation: Our skilled mediators provide child and spousal support calculations using DissoMaster and Family Code Section 4320, as well as other important tools.
- Marital Settlement Agreement draft: The Families First Mediation draft the MSA and file the agreement.
- Final Approval: They also prepare and file documents and agreements in court, which saves you the cost of hiring a separate divorce lawyer for filing.
There is a ‘no one size fits all’ answer to the cost of mediation because it depends upon certain factors (case complexities, mediator’s experience, etc.) However, generally speaking, mediation is an inexpensive tool. The following are the costs of mediation.
- Low-cost mediation (for simpler cases): $3,000 – $5000
- Standard mediation (for moderately complex cases): $5,000 to $10,000
- High-cost mediation (for highly complex cases): $10,000 – $20, 000
Mediators in California offer several pricing models. Some charge hourly fees, while others offer flat fees or hybrid billings. Many mediators also charge a fee for initial consultation.
Families First Mediation offers a free, 20 minute initial consultation with one of our mediators. If you have planned to mediate your divorce, schedule your free video consultation now.
The pricing structures are as follows:
- Hourly rates: In hourly billing, you pay your mediator for the time spent working on your matter, including the mediation sessions, preparing agreements, emails, and filing your documents.
- Flat fee packages: You pay the flat fee based on the expected number of sessions and the services the mediator has agreed to provide. This may or may not include filing your paperwork.
- Hybrid fee model: Mediators may combine both fee models, i.e., a flat fee and an hourly model.
A skilled divorce mediator always understands the problems, goals, and interests of divorcing couples. So, for successful mediation, always look for these traits in the mediator:
- Neutrality and impartiality;
- Problem-solving
- Empathy and compassion
- Experience and expertise
- Patience and perseverance
- Strong communication skills
- Supportiveness and genuineness
- Competent use of technology, tools, and automation for faster settlement.
Couples start mediation to achieve an agreement. If you do start mediation and decide that it is not a right fit for your divorce, you are able to terminate your mediation agreement and pivot to a different divorce method. It is incredibly rare that a couple who starts mediation is unsuccessful at finishing. The mediators are equipped with a broad variety of skills and experience that will help even higher conflict cases to finish with a quality agreement.
- Revisit Meditation: You need to revisit meditation after a short break with good faith and a new perspective to reach a complete settlement.
- Litigation: Litigation is another method to get a divorce, though expensive and time-consuming.
- ADR: Alternative Dispute Resolution involves options like collaborative divorce and arbitration to resolve divorce issues outside of court, though they are more expensive than mediation.
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:
- Ground Rules: Both spouses will sign a mediation agreement that has behavioral ground rules that they will follow during mediation sessions.
- Emotional Management: Making sure that you are prepared for your working sessions and that your sessions are spaced out properly (every other week) can help individuals manage their emotions during and between sessions.
- Clarity: Individuals need to come up with clarity and potential solutions for respectful communication.
- Active Listening: Spouses can practice active listening to foster better communication, resulting in productive mediation
No, the purpose of divorce mediation is not to save marriage but to give couples a productive, affordable, and peaceful divorce. You don’t need to worry about property division, retirement accounts, and support calculations because Families First Mediation mediators address these issues.
Couples can seek couple therapy through a reputable therapist to save the marriage. The therapists effectively help spouses rebuild trust and get rid of marital issues.
Why Mediation is a Smarter Choice for Couples:
- Couples reach a mutually agreeable solution.
- Couples retain control over the final outcome.
- Couples save thousands of dollars and time.
- Couples lead to better post-divorce relations for better co-parenting.
Here is how meditation helps spouses with more amicable divorce than a lawyer-driven divorce. Book your free video consultation and become a success story with Families First Mediation.
- Time: Mediation is faster (taking just 4-6 sessions) as it does not involve courts that delay proceedings. However, a lawyer-driven divorce is a time-consuming process and might takes
- years.
- Money: Mediated divorce is a very inexpensive option, costing just $5,000 to $15,000 compared to a traditional divorce that costs $100,000 per person.
- Focus: A skilled mediator helps spouses reach a mutually consensual agreement without advocating for any party involved. While in court divorce, each lawyer represents his/her party, making the entire process adversarial.
The expert attorney mediators suggest these tips for 100% productive mediation:
- Take breaks when needed
- Be open to creative solutions
- Focus on your children and future
- Decide your interests and priorities
- Listen actively and use I statements
- Come prepared with organized thoughts
- Keep your explosive emotions aside and work rationally
- Choose your divorce mediator wisely and understand her role
- Gather necessary information (about assets, debts, and possessions)
- Stay honest and indulge in open communication during negotiations
Time: How long does mediation usually take?
Time: What’s the duration of each session?
Availability: When are you available for sessions?
Cost: What are your mediation fees?
Fee Structure: Flat fee or hourly billing?
Approach: What cases do you handle, and how does your style benefit clients?
Role: Will you help draft legal documents?
Qualifications: Your experience in family mediation?
Outcome: What if we can’t reach an agreement?
Issues: Can mediation cover custody, support, and property?
Cooperation: How do you handle uncooperative spouses?
Communication: How can we reach you between sessions?
Here are the best ways to get answers to all questions regarding mediation:
- Articles and Blogs: Read informative blogs on divorce mediation from reputable websites like Families First Mediation. Moreover, Families First Mediation has also listed 100+FAQs to help individuals learn about mediation.
- Qualified Mediator: You can ask your queries and doubts about mediation from online mediators in a free Consultation.. Families First Mediation mediators will always feel proud to answer your queries in a free video consultation
Couples start mediation to achieve an agreement. If you do start mediation and decide that it is not a right fit for your divorce, you are able to terminate your mediation agreement and pivot to a different divorce method. The following are the points you need to consider if you don’t reach an agreement in mediation.
- Revisit Mediation: You need to revisit mediation after a short break with good faith and a new perspective to reach a complete settlement.
- Litigation: Litigation is another method to get a divorce, though expensive and time-consuming.
- ADR: Alternative Dispute Resolution involves options like collaborative divorce and arbitration to resolve divorce issues outside of court, though they are more expensive than mediation.
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:
- Ground Rules: Both spouses will sign a mediation agreement that has behavioral ground rules that they will follow during mediation sessions.
- Emotional Management: Making sure that you are prepared for your working sessions and that your sessions are spaced out properly (every other week) can help individuals manage their emotions during and between sessions.
- Clarity: Individuals need to attend sessions with clarity on their goals and be willing to work towards potential solutions for respectful communication.
- Active Listening: Spouses can practice active listening to foster better communication.
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
- Any neutral location (chosen by the mediator)
- Video conferencing platforms (online mediation
At Families First Mediation, we use Zoom to meet with our clients, from the initial consultation through the final session. It allows our clients to work in the comfort of their own homes, or wherever they choose, and allows more scheduling flexibility.
No, the purpose of divorce mediation is not to save marriage but to give couples a productive, affordable, and peaceful divorce.
You don’t need to worry about understanding property division, retirement accounts, and support calculations on your own, because Families First Mediation mediators address these issues and will educate and walk you through the process.
Couples can seek couple therapy through a reputable therapist to save the marriage.
Why Mediation is a Smarter Choice for Couples:
- Couples reach a mutually agreeable solution.
- Couples retain control over the final outcome.
- Couples save thousands of dollars and time.
- Couples lead to better post-divorce relations for better co-parenting
The first step towards mediation is to book your free video consultation with one of our mediators.
- Time: Mediation is faster (with our couples taking 4-6 months on average). A lawyer-driven divorce is a time-consuming process and might take years.
- Money: At Families First Mediation, our client’s final costs are anywhere from $7,500 – $12,000 on average. A traditional divorce where couples are even amicable with maybe one court hearing, but each have their own attorneys can easily cost more than $30,000 per person.
- Focus: A skilled mediator helps spouses reach a mutually consensual agreement without advocating for any party involved. While in court divorce, each lawyer represents his/her party, making the entire process adversarial.
The expert attorney mediators suggest these tips for 100% productive mediation:
- Take breaks when needed;
- Be open to creative solutions;
- Focus on what is best for your family’s future;
- Decide your interests and priorities;
- Listen actively and use I statements;
- Come prepared with organized thoughts;
- Choose your divorce mediator wisely and understand the mediator’s role; and
- Gather necessary information (about assets, debts, and possessions).
Both mediation and collaborative divorce are ways to get a divorce without entering the courtroom. However, they are entirely different in approach, costs, time, etc.
- Professional Involvement: Mediation involves a common mediator for both parties. While in collaborative divorce each party has his/her attorney or attorneys.
- Cost: The collaborative divorce is costly because of the involvement of several professionals and attorneys. Mediation is more cost-effective, because spouses can split the mediation costs and are using one mediator.
Here are the best ways to get answers to all questions regarding mediation:
- Articles and Blogs: Read informative blogs on divorce mediation from reputable websites like Families First Mediation. Moreover, Families First Mediation has also listed 100+FAQs to help individuals learn about mediation.
- Qualified Mediator: You should interview potential mediators and ask them questions about their process and the values and goals for their clients through the mediation process. Families First Mediation offers a free 20 minute consultation for our potential clients.
Here are the best ways to get answers to all questions regarding mediation:
- Articles and Blogs: Read informative blogs on divorce mediation from reputable websites like Families First Mediation. Moreover, Families First Mediation has also listed 100+FAQs to help individuals learn about mediation.
- Qualified Mediator: You should interview potential mediators and ask them questions about their process and the values and goals for their clients through the mediation process. Families First Mediation offers a free 20 minute consultation for our potential clients.
The following are significant benefits to divorce mediation:
Pros
- Higher quality agreements
- Long-lasting agreements
- More compliance rate than a litigated divorce
- Flexible and cost-friendly
- Confidential
- Post-divorce stability
- Faster resolution of divorce
- Voluntary and informal
- Collaborative and peaceful nature.
Couples start mediation to achieve an agreement. If you do start mediation and decide that it is not a right fit for your divorce, you are able to terminate your mediation agreement and pivot to a different divorce method. It is incredibly rare that a couple who starts mediation is unsuccessful at finishing. The mediators are equipped with a broad variety of skills and experience that will help even higher conflict cases to finish with a quality agreement.
- Revisit Meditation: You need to revisit meditation after a short break with good faith and a new perspective to reach a complete settlement.
- Litigation: Litigation is another method to get a divorce, though expensive and time-consuming.
- ADR: Alternative Dispute Resolution involves options like collaborative divorce and arbitration to resolve divorce issues outside of court, though they are more expensive than mediation.
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:
- Ground Rules: Both spouses will sign a mediation agreement that has behavioral ground rules that they will follow during mediation sessions.
- Emotional Management: Making sure that you are prepared for your working sessions and that your sessions are spaced out properly (every other week) can help individuals manage their emotions during and between sessions.
- Clarity: Individuals need to come up with clarity and potential solutions for respectful communication.
- Active Listening: Spouses can practice active listening to foster better communication, resulting in productive mediation
No, the purpose of divorce mediation is not to save marriage but to give couples a productive, affordable, and peaceful divorce. You don’t need to worry about property division, retirement accounts, and support calculations because Families First Mediation mediators address these issues.
Couples can seek couple therapy through a reputable therapist to save the marriage. The therapists effectively help spouses rebuild trust and get rid of marital issues.
Why Mediation is a Smarter Choice for Couples:
- Couples reach a mutually agreeable solution.
- Couples retain control over the final outcome.
- Couples save thousands of dollars and time.
- Couples lead to better post-divorce relations for better co-parenting.
Here is how meditation helps spouses with more amicable divorce than a lawyer-driven divorce. Book your free video consultation and become a success story with Families First Mediation.
- Time: Mediation is faster (taking just 4-6 sessions) as it does not involve courts that delay proceedings. However, a lawyer-driven divorce is a time-consuming process and might takes
- years.
- Money: Mediated divorce is a very inexpensive option, costing just $5,000 to $15,000 compared to a traditional divorce that costs $100,000 per person.
- Focus: A skilled mediator helps spouses reach a mutually consensual agreement without advocating for any party involved. While in court divorce, each lawyer represents his/her party, making the entire process adversarial.
The expert attorney mediators suggest these tips for 100% productive mediation:
- Take breaks when needed
- Be open to creative solutions
- Focus on your children and future
- Decide your interests and priorities
- Listen actively and use I statements
- Come prepared with organized thoughts
- Keep your explosive emotions aside and work rationally
- Choose your divorce mediator wisely and understand her role
- Gather necessary information (about assets, debts, and possessions)
- Stay honest and indulge in open communication during negotiations
Time: How long does mediation usually take?
Time: What’s the duration of each session?
Availability: When are you available for sessions?
Cost: What are your mediation fees?
Fee Structure: Flat fee or hourly billing?
Approach: What cases do you handle, and how does your style benefit clients?
Role: Will you help draft legal documents?
Qualifications: Your experience in family mediation?
Outcome: What if we can’t reach an agreement?
Issues: Can mediation cover custody, support, and property?
Cooperation: How do you handle uncooperative spouses?
Communication: How can we reach you between sessions?
Here are the best ways to get answers to all questions regarding mediation:
- Articles and Blogs: Read informative blogs on divorce mediation from reputable websites like Families First Mediation. Moreover, Families First Mediation has also listed 100+FAQs to help individuals learn about mediation.
- Qualified Mediator: You can ask your queries and doubts about mediation from online mediators in a free Consultation.. Families First Mediation mediators will always feel proud to answer your queries in a free video consultation