Divorce Mediation in San Diego | Expert Family Lawyers

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

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What is Divorce Mediation in San Diego?

Divorce mediation has become a popular alternative to (divorce) litigation, especially in San
Diego. Mediation allows you to divorce without having to go to family court. Mediation in
divorce is a private and confidential process, unlike the court. In court, the proceedings are
public and part of the public records.

Mediators are neutral professionals who help spouses reach a creative solution and fair
settlement. Mediators come from different professional backgrounds. Some are attorneys,
while others are non-attorney mediators. Some mediators are very comfortable with providing calculations, like support calculations, and others are not. Mediators help spouses negotiate and resolve all issues pertaining to their divorce, including child custody, child and spousal support, future support modifications, and debts and property division.

Mediated divorces are more collaborative, cost-effective, and faster than a traditional divorce
for San Diego married couples who want to divorce or part ways. If you are considering mediation, consider Families First Mediation mediators, who have vast experience in San Diego divorce mediation and family law. The great thing about FamiliesFirstMediation mediators? They strive to put you in control of your divorce. They believe that a successful mediated divorce results in a quality long-lasting agreement. They offer a free initial consultation, which they use to get to know you, and your concerns and provide you a plan for your divorce success.

This Blog Discusses mediation, its expected Costs, Benefits, and Common Questions related to Mediation.

Why Mediating a Divorce in San Diego: 5 Benefits for Your Successful Mediation

Mediating your divorce in San Diego puts you in control of your divorce. In San Diego, family law court procedures are long and tedious. One of the best ways to avoid this is to work with a family law attorney-mediator to settle your divorce. The attorney-mediator will not only assist you with all the required court documents but also assist you in negotiating a settlement. Here are 5 great benefits of mediation:

Less Stressful

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.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Mediation is a private and confidential process, and the record of your mediation sessions doesn’t go public. However, in court, all your testimony will be taken down by the court reporter and available as part of a court record.

Outcome Controlled Process

Not even a mediator, who facilitates both spouses in reaching a consensual agreement controls the process. The couple directly controls the outcome rather than a judge deciding for the spouses. Divorce attorneys and celebrities will mediate their divorces over litigate for this very reason – control and privacy in their divorce. Similarly, most couples want the same and do not want attorneys or judges to dictate what should happen in their family life.

Communication

Communication in mediation is direct. As mentioned, the mediator speaks directly with the parties in joint sessions creating trust. This builds more trust, which leads to settlement (the end goal). In litigation, good communication is limited. Most communication tends to pull parties apart and increase conflict, which increases fees.

Faster and Flexible

Mediation is faster. You are working on your mediator’s private schedule and not an overly crowded public court system. You may finish your divorce in 5-6 sessions. Unlike the court’s structured and formal process, mediation is casual and built around your family and work life

LEARN ALL ABOUT DIVORCE MEDIATORS

Meet Your Future Mediation Attorney

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.

Services of FFM Mediators for San Diegans

Our Families First Mediation Mediators in San Diego, CA, have helped thousands of couples agree on the specific terms of their divorces. FFM Mediators have saved spouses from costly litigation with customized strategies suited to their family’s needs.

Following are the Services of Families First Mediation Mediators

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I find a divorce mediator in San Diego?

You can find a reputable divorce mediator in California by doing these steps:

Search on Google or browse through online legal directories
Reach out to family attorneys in San Diego and ask for referrals.
Read and review the testimonials of mediators once you find them.

How can free video consultation work for my case in San Diego?

The mediator can understand your case (suitability of mediation to you) and divorce issues in a free video consultation. Additionally, they can communicate their strategies to resolve your disputes, their role as a neutral facilitator, and the risks associated with your divorce. You can also learn about their fee model in an initial discussion. In short, you can use the free video consultation for maximum benefit without spending money.

Gather a basic understanding of the mediation process
Familiarize yourself with your mediation concern to a mediator and know about different solutions.
Evaluate the mediator regarding his communication, problem-solving skills, and suitability to your scenario.
Use this strategy and get at the win-and-win situation before investing in mediation

How many mediation sessions are needed to complete my divorce in San Diego?

The number of sessions required in your mediation for simple divorce or complex cases can vary. The more complications there are, the more sessions will be required. Likewise, the couple’s willingness to compromise, complexity, information gathering (process), expert consultations, and mediator experience may also influence the number of sessions. Our Families First Mediations couples average 5–6 sessions. Here is a breakdown of the expected number of sessions based on the case types.

Simple cases: 3–5 sessions
Mid-size cases: 4–8 sessions
Highly complex Cases: 8–12+

What are the pros and cons of divorce mediation?

The following are the pros and cons of mediation in divorce.
Pros

Confidential
Time effective
Post-divorce stability
Voluntary, informal and flexible
More control over the outcome
Collaborative and peaceful nature
Inexpensive process(both parties can collectively pay the fees of a mediator)

Cons

Can’t work for high conflict cases
Does not work for uncooperative couples
Lacks legal advocacy (mediator just mediates and doesn’t advocate for parties, unless the parties retain consulting attorneys)
Doesn’t work for couples with power imbalance (unless the mediator is able to neutralize)