Providing Divorce Mediation Services Throughout California

Best Online Divorce Mediation | Complete Guide 2024

Dina Haddad

Principal & Founder Attorney-Mediator

Online Divorce Mediation

No one ever truly sees divorce coming. It can be scary, sweeping away at what feels familiar and secure. After all, how do you tell a spouse you want a divorce?

Traditional court battles and negotiations can add to this chaos (especially if the divorce was a decision made on bad terms). Would you do it if there was a way to handle the proceedings from the comfort of your home, without commuting or having to change your work schedule? Online divorce mediation helps you avoid the stress of scheduled courthouse visits and having to limit your matter to 15 minute court appearances.

Book your free consultation with Families First Mediation, and mediate your divorce from the comfort of your home.

What is Online Divorce Mediation?

Online divorce mediation is a somewhat new process. It was available as early as the 2000s but quickly became widespread during the 2010s, especially once the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Online divorce mediation is a process where legally married couples use digital tools to resolve divorce-related issues with the help of a neutral, online divorce mediator. This setup can include video calling, secure document sharing, and other ways of communication via the internet. To explain it simply, let’s imagine this scenario:

Jake and Paula have been married for ten long years. After a lot of ups and downs, they have decided that it is time to go their separate ways. They just can’t seem to make it work anymore. While breaking up, they are committed to making this process go as smoothly as possible. Instead of traditional court battles and in-person meetings, they have chosen to go down the route of virtual divorce mediation.

This will allow them to do what they need with minimal stress and disruption. Maintaining a cooperative approach will benefit them each directly and also their two young children.

Mediate your California online divorce without stress and financial strain. Book a free consultation with Dina Haddad, a skilled attorney-mediator who will find the best path for you. Dina has been mediating family law cases for over twenty years. Her office is set-up so that her couples can successfully mediate online.

How Does Online Divorce Mediation Work?

It can be overwhelming to think about everything you must do regarding the divorce process. Here, we have broken it down into a few steps when it comes to virtual divorce mediation:

1. Find a Mediator

So, first things first, you are going to want to find a mediation service that works best for you. What’s a mediator? A mediator can act as a neutral third party while splitting up. They will help guide you down the best course of action. Hopefully, you will find common ground with your spouse and resolve any differences that may hinder an amicable divorce.

iMediate Divorce Mediator

Principal & Founder Attorney-Mediator

Online Divorce Mediation Attorney

Dina Haddad is the owner and principle of Families First Mediation. She has practiced family law in both Southern and Northern California and completed a doctorate law degree in alternative dispute resolution, with an emphasis in mediation.

Dina is a top-tier divorce attorney mediator. She can effectively facilitate communication and negotiations between couples, assisting them to reach a fair agreement and reducing cost, stress, and time.

She is known to be able to manage high-conflict and high-asset cases, focused on helping the parties and creating a post-divorce plan for her clients.

2. Schedule a Meeting

After finding a mediator you think best suits your needs, you should arrange a video call or a meeting with them. This way, you and the mediator can discuss the process and create an outline for your goals. Where exactly do you want this to go? What do you want from the divorce?

3. Mediation Sessions

After understanding clearly, you will (or at least, it’s recommended) start anticipating mediation sessions. The mediator will introduce everyone, explain the process, and lay some ground rules. This is where you and your spouse (or soon-to-be ex-spouse) will voice both perspectives on the dispute. 

4. Reaching an Agreement (Draft, Review, Finalize)

During your virtual divorce mediation, you will make agreements regarding the issues of your divorce, including asset and debt division, child custody, and child and spousal support. Many mediators, such as the ones at Families First Mediation, will prepare your agreements in a written document, called a Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA).  This is a fully enforceable agreement that is typically filed with your divorce judgment. Make sure you review it carefully to see that you are in agreement with the language, understand the terms, and provide any missing information to the mediator.

You can finalize your online divorce with your spouse if all is well.

5. File with Court

During finalization, you will sign the final agreement and then usually the mediator’s office will file it with the court. This is the last step and will complete the divorce process.

Who Can Benefit From Online Divorce Mediation?

Everyone can benefit from online divorce mediation.! From personalized attention to customized solutions, it can help you remain in control of your divorce rather than putting it into a public atmosphere with a judge. It also has less impact on your work schedule since you can schedule meetings at a time that works best for you.

Online divorce mediation is especially useful if you happen to fall into these categories:

  • Married couples (in the divorce process) who are looking to maintain an amicable relationship;
  • Parents (especially when they have younger children) who have to adhere to strict schedules and can’t make the trip to the courthouse;
  • Partners who are separated and live in different cities or states;
  • Those seeking cost-efficient solutions that keep them in control of their divorce process.

What Are The Pros and Cons of Online Divorce Mediation?

Before the divorce process, you should weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether you would prefer to go the online route.

Pros

  • Time-efficient: By having your proceedings online, you will be able to save a lot of time that otherwise would be spent in the car driving to and from court. 
  • Cost-effective: mediation costs less than traditional divorce. 
  • Private: Unlike in court, where you would be dealing with more people you don’t know than you would have to, you can potentially choose who is involved in video meetings. 
  • Reduces stress: compared to traditional divorce, which can increase stress, resulting in a more lengthy and emotional process – online divorce mediation can be a more calm environment.

Cons

  • Your spouse may not want to cooperate/is unwilling to attend virtual meetings. 
  • It may not be the right service for those with serious divorce situations such as domestic violence, child abuse, or neglect. 
  • You may not be able to do it from home if you don’t have a solid cellular signal or Wi-Fi access.  

California's Best Online Divorce Mediation Service

We recommend Families First Mediation. They are the best online divorce mediation service in California for simple to complex family law matters. They empower their parties to obtain high-quality agreements at low costs. 

They make what is known to be a complicated process so much easier. They have a success rate of over 95%, even in the most challenging cases. With Families First Mediation, you will save a considerable amount of money, unlike the “traditional” divorce cost, which could be almost $100,000. Providing you with experienced mediators with a collective experience of 60+ years.  You will want to take note of divorce mediation tips and tricks so that you can do what’s best for your family. Book a free consultation with Dina Haddad, a professional mediator who can work with you today.

Conclusion

To save time and money, you should do online mediation, especially if you are like Jake and Paula (who we mentioned previously) and are trying to take the smoothest route possible. Online divorce mediation provides you customized options at a fraction of the cost of traditional divorce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Typically, when it comes to online mediation, the total cost can range from $5,000 to $15,000 in total cost. Of course, though, this will vary depending on the state.

The typical issues that come up when trying to finalize a divorce include child custody, creating a parenting plan, child and/or spousal support, property division, and more.

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