Top Divorce Mediator in Los Altos | Expert Mediation Services

Divorce is stressful enough. Work with top divorce mediators Dina & Samira to take control of your case in Los Altos offering the most comprehensive divorce mediation services.

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What is Divorce Mediation in Los Altos?

Divorce mediation is a great way to stay in control of your divorce in Los Altos and throughout California. Unlike a traditional divorce which takes an average 2 years and can cost from $20,000.00 to $100,000.00+, mediation puts the couple in control of the process. As a result, the couple ends up with a high-quality agreement for a fraction of the cost and time. The mediator empowers the couple with family law options to maximize the community benefits, identify separate claims, and finalize the couple’s divorce. By providing these resources to the couple together, the couple rebuilds trust and teamwork to finish their divorce.

Your mediator can be a lawyer (attorney-mediator) or another certified third-party person (non-attorney mediator). At Families First Mediation, our mediators are family law attorneys with at least 20 years of family law experience. Our mediators pride themselves in creative agreements, which focus on important details like tax consequences and maximizing the benefits available to the parties compared to a traditional divorce process.

Roles of (Attorney) Mediators

The following are the important roles our mediators take on for the mediation to be successful:

Fostering Collaborative Communication and Giving Legal Information

Neutral Mediators play the crucial role of facilitating sound communication between spouses based on their divorcing goals. “FamiliesFirstMediation” Mediators use communication skills and help couples discuss different options to resolve their dispute on critical divorce matters
Our Los Altos-based Attorney mediators can guide couples about the legal implications of the decisions made under the mediation process by legal frameworks and family law. They may also offer legal advice and draft legal documents.

Using Problem-Solving Skills to Identify Major Issues

Getting served with divorce papers is stressful. Imagine having to live your day to day life with court hearings, court papers, deadlines, depositions, discovery, and attorney conferences. It is incredibly stressful. Compare this to mediation. In mediation, you still have to work through your divorce (which is difficult) but the process works around your schedule and needs. You are working towards agreements, which increases the cooperative tone and de-escalates conflict.

Taking Help from Other Professionals for Effective Agreement

To resolve your dispute, Our qualified Families First Mediation Mediators may involve other professionals depending upon the complexities involved in the case. They might seek help from financial experts to resolve financial conflicts. The Mediators are well-trained to understand your emotions. Therefore, for severe circumstances and specific issues, they may talk to a mental health clinician, mental therapist, or child psychologist to ease the divorce process.

LEARN ALL ABOUT MEDIATORS

Meet Your Future Mediation Team

Dina Haddad, Esq.

Principal & Founder Attorney-Mediator

Dina is the founder and principal of Families First Mediation. Her mission is make A-class services available to clients at all socio-economic levels by providing her commitment to excellence at a fraction of the cost of traditional divorce options.

She has practiced family law in both Southern and Northern California, at some of the most prestigious law firms. She completed post-doctorate law degree in mediation, a Masters in Law in Alternate Dispute Resolution from the premier Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. For more than 9 consecutive years, Straus was ranked the number one dispute resolution program by U.S. News and World Report. Straus received this honor again for 2018. Very few mediators, particularly in family law, have this unique training.

Phone Number:

(408) 357-3486

Email:

[email protected]

Samira Amato, Esq.

Divorce Attorney-Mediator

Deborah Yamashiro

Senior Paralegal

Elizabeth Stephens

Financial Mediator

Katherine Pearson

Case Manager & Paralegal

Families First Mediation Process

1

Start A Divorce

We will prepare and file the Petition and Response for the divorce or legal separation for you. These papers start your divorce case.

2

Mediate An Agreement

You will meet with the attorney-mediator and your spouse in working sessions. On average, parties need 6 sessions. The attorney-mediator will help you understand the law and provide you options for property division, parenting and child and spousal support. Using that information, the attorney-mediator will guide you to an agreement. We are looking for results that you understand and work for you, each other, and your family - both today and for your future.

3

Complete Disclosures

For every divorce and legal separation, you must exchange and complete financial disclosures. We will guide you through them so they are exchanged and done correctly

4

Divorce Judgment

We will put your agreements together in a final agreement, known as an MSA. We submit this to court to become your divorce judgment.

Top 10 Benefits of Divorce Mediations for Divorcing Couples in Los Altos

Divorce mediation comes with several benefits:

Post-divorce stability
Mutual Satisfaction
Flexibility and convenience
Privacy and confidentiality
Higher rate of compliance
Impartiality and time-effectiveness
Agreements are customized to your family’s needs
Peacefulness and less adversarial nature
Far more cost-effective
Child-centered and child-focused parenting approach

Services and Roles of Divorce Mediators in Los Altos, CA

‘Online Mediators’ help spouses navigate their divorce negotiations, facilitate collaborative communication, and clarify issues like property division and child custody, besides being fair and empathetic. Our Families First Mediation mediators in Los Altos, CA have all helped thousands of couples agree on the specific terms of their divorces with the above-said qualities. Families First Mediation mediators have saved spouses from spending $100,000.00 in costly litigation with customized strategies catered to the family’s needs

Looking For An Experienced Divorce Mediator?

Looking For Experienced Divorce Mediator?

See What Our Clients Say About Us

"I heard so many great feedbacks about Families First Mediation so I was eager to sign up to overcome my fears about going through my divorce...."

"Dina and her team are amazing. They guided us through this most difficult time in our lives with ease and proficiency...."

"Working with Families First Mediation Group was such a positive and reassuring experience. From the very first conversation...."

"Samira and FFM guided us through our divorce while navigating a fairly complex (non-standard) living and parenting plan...."

"Families First Mediation recently helped my ex and I navigate the dissolution of our marriage....."

"Dina is not only incredibly knowledgeable—she is so much more than just a mediator. She is a rare and special person who brings light to your path...."

"Dina Haddad and Families First made a difficult process so much easier for us. For families with complex situations, Dina is the perfect choice..."

"Very good experience. Dina knows how to get everyone on the same page while keeping both parties on friendly terms..........."

"We like the way Dina Haddad and Families First Mediation made the well-being of our kids their top priority. They guided us through......."

"As much as you can love going through mediation and divorce, Dina H. is the one to help you come to a positive outcome. She has good......"

“Divorce is never something you plan for and the complexity and legality of it is something most couples don’t know, understand or inquire about..."

"I highly recommend Dina and Deborah at Families First Mediation. Dina is awesome she helped guide us from beginning to the end through...."

"Dina is very knowledgeable both in terms of the divorce laws and accounting. She is a great listener and amazing in finding a solution...."

"Families First really helped make a difficult process seamless and helped us keep our friendship intact. Thanks to Dina and Deborah, we were able ...."

"Dina and Deborah helped us maintain our MSA, even years later, with the same kindness and professionalism as the first time we all..."

"I highly recommend Families First Mediation if you and your spouse are thinking about going separate ways. Dina and team are friendly, easy to work with, thorough, and responsive....."

"While this process can be full of emotion and never easy, Dina showed excellent professionalism and compassion during ....."

"For anyone out there navigating the legal complexities and emotional fallout of a divorce with children involved, I’d recommend Dina...."

"The transition out of marriage has been difficult and emotional. Dina has shown excellent professionalism throughout the process......"

"Dina and the team at Families First Mediation were not only highly professional, but they were also very personal and extremely helpful throughout the entire process..."

I am truly grateful for the support we received from Dina and her team. They were responsive and patient throughout the mediation/divorce process, as we navigated uncharted, uncomfortable territory.

Learn more about Divorce Mediation and how it can help your family

F.A.Q

Virtual Sessions

Our mediation sessions are virtual. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we offered virtual sessions and relied heavily on technology to offer the best services to our clients and keep their costs down. We rely on secure methods to share documents, online calendaring, electronic payment options and other useful integrations. Unlike other divorce practices, you won’t find charges on your invoice for us to file or print your documents to paper.

Do mediators, in Los Altos, charge a consultation fee for an initial meeting with them?

A skilled mediator helps spouses with family law issues like:

Parenting issues

• Parental relocation;
• Visitation schedules;
• Legal custody of a child;
• Physical custody of a child;
• (Future) Communication channels between parents and children;
• On-going parenting;
• Move-aways;
• Holiday Schedules; and
• Summer Schedules.

Property and Assets Division Issues

• Real property, including the family residence;
• Bank accounts, like checking, savings, and CDs;
• Employee benefit accounts, like RSUs, PSUs, and Stock Options;
• Retirement accounts, like 401(k), 403bs, CalSTRS, CalPERS, and other pensions;
• Brokerage accounts;
• Cryptocurrency;
• Business interests, including family-owned businesses; and
• Debts, including college loans, tax obligations, and credit card debts.

Support and Other Expenses

• Spousal support or alimony;
• Child support and child care expenses;
• Health and Life insurance;
• Family support;
• Medical expenses; and
• Educational costs.

Divorce

• Timings and grounds of divorce;
• Post-divorce stability factors; and
• Cooperation among spouses

What questions should I ask a divorce mediator in a free video consultation?

Choosing the expert mediator for your successful mediation is highly essential. Following are the top questions you should ask your mediator respectfully.

• What kind of cases do you mediate?
• How long will each session of mediation be?
• How much do your mediation services cost?
• How long will it take to complete my mediation process?
• Do you offer a flat fee or an hourly model for mediation?
• How can your mediation style help us achieve our divorce goals?
• What if I don’t reach an agreement with my spouse through mediation?
• Will you draft legal documents and a settlement agreement in the process?
• What is your qualification, and how much experience do you have in mediation?
• Can issues like child custody, child support, and marital property division be resolved in mediated settlement?
• What if my spouse is not cooperating with me? Do you have any way to deal with this situation?

Is divorce mediation similar to arbitration?

Both are alternative dispute resolution methods but arbitration is more similar to
private judging.

• In mediation, mediators help spouses get a divorce without giving any legal advice or making a decision, while in arbitration, an arbitrator or private judge sees the case and issues the final ruling or binding decision on divorce.
• Mediation is solution-oriented and peaceful, but arbitration is adjudicative or court-like.
• Mediated divorce is formal and less expensive than divorce arbitration. While arbitration is a formal process and more expensive than the former.
• Both parties retain control of the outcome in the mediated divorce, while the arbitration outcome is arbitrator-controlled.•

How can I find a divorce mediator in Los Altos, California?

Finding a reputable divorce mediator in Los Altos requires some research. Once you
learn about professional mediation experts in your city, create a short list detailing their
qualifications and training. If mediators offer a free video consultation for discussion, this will
give you an opportunity to meet with the mediator virtually to see if that mediator is a good fit
for you.

To find a qualified mediator in Los Altos, California:

• Search on Google and identify the San Diego-based mediators;
• Check online California legal directories to find a mediation facilitator;
• Reach out to family attorneys in your city and ask for referrals;
• Ask for referrals from trusted friends and family members who have successfully mediated their divorces;
• Contact the local court in your area; and
• Read and review the testimonials of mediators.