San Diego Divorce Mediation Services, Family Law, Legal Separation, or Custody Mediation
What is Divorce Mediation?
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:
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Cost-effective
Mediated divorces are far cheaper and more affordable than a litigated divorce. In mediation, the parties only hire a mediator, instead of each having to hire an attorney. Also, the transfer of information between the mediators and parties is very cost-effective. Most, if not all, communication is joint. So there is a single charge for each conversation. That may sound silly, but consider litigation. Each party has an attorney, and each conversation is charged 2 to 4 times so that it is relayed between the party to his attorney, and from that attorney to the other, and finally from the receiving attorney to the other party (and back!). The mediator can focus on quality discussions and in turn reach agreements faster. With litigation, the parties are in a slow-moving court process which results in higher costs.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Mediator Spotlight: Dina Haddad
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. Dina sits as a Judge Pro Tempore for the Personal Property Arbitration in Santa Clara County and is a family law mediator for the Agency for Dispute Resolution (ADR), a premier provider of private dispute resolution services with a selective panel of neutrals.
5
""Very good experience. Dina knows how to get everyone on the same page
while keeping both parties on friendly terms. This was a very amicable
resolution thanks to Dina. I would highly recommend anyone going through
this versus hiring separate attorneys and ending on not so friendly
terms...""
Steven
5
"""Dina is very knowledgeable both in terms of the divorce laws and accounting. She is a great listener and amazing in finding a solution that works for both parties. She has a very creative mind to resolve conflicts be it about child custody, scheduling or asset division..."""
David
San Diego Divorce Mediation Costs
Mediators in San Diego use different billing models, such as flat fee packages, hybrid models, or hourly billing, for their mediation services. The cost for mediation overall in San Diego may range from a few thousand dollars to $15,000.00 plus.
Also, in California, each party has a court filing fee of $435. You can see other related fees on the court’s website. An average traditional divorce is far more expensive than mediation. The most important decision you can make in a divorce is how you divorce. If you are considering a divorce, choose an affordable divorce mediator from FamiliesFirstMediation, the pioneering mediation service in San Diego near you. We have broken down each (above-said) pricing and the expected cost to give you a better understanding of how mediators charge for their services.
Hourly Rates:
Many mediators use hourly billing methods and charge around $200 to $650 per hour. Some experienced mediators may charge more than that.
Hybrid Fee Model:
San Diego-based mediators may combine both fee models, i.e., a flat fee and an hourly basis. Hence, they may charge an initial flat fee for consultation and other
processes while an hourly fee for your subsequent mediation sessions.
Flat Fee Packages:
Some mediators offer flat fee packages based on the case intricacies and estimated number of sessions. The flat fees may range from $3,500 to $15, 000+ including all sessions and fees for document preparation and filing services.
- Low-cost Mediation: This mediation may fit simpler cases in which spouses have no major disagreement regarding disputes. Its price may range from $3,500 to $5,000.
- Standard Mediation: This type of mediation is for mid-size cases in which spouses may have disagreements and need guidance on major issues like parenting plans, visitations, child custody, child support, spousal support, and property division. Mediators in San Diego may charge between $5,000 and 15,000 for mid-size mediation cases.
- Complex Mediation: This mediation package is for cases involving greater complexity and conflict. For this divorce mediation, skilled mediators may charge over $15,000 to resolve core issues.
Factors That Influence Mediation Costs
You should consider the following factors in your budget as they may affect your mediation expenses.
- Number of sessions
- Mediator’s fee structure
- Geographical locations
- Case complexities (in Marital and Financial Situations)
- Conflict Level and Spouses’ Willingness to Compromise
- Mediator’s experience, qualifications, and certifications
- Other professionals involvement (not subject to all)
- Attorney’s involvement
- Initial consultation (Get Your Free Consultation)
Services of FamiliesFirstMediation Mediators for San Diegans
Our FamiliesFirstMediation Mediators in San Diego, CA, have helped thousands of couples agree on the specific terms of their divorces. The mediators have saved spouses from costly litigation with customized strategies suited to families’ needs. Following are the Services of FamiliesFirstMediation Mediators.
- Divorce
- Paternity
- Spousal Support
- Legal Separation
- Faith-Based Divorce
- Settlement Conferences
- Child Custody and
- Child Support
Families First Mediation Process
If you are concerned, worried, or confused by the process, look no further. With our easy but professional approach, you can be done sooner than you think.
Start Divorce
We will prepare and file the Petition and Response for the divorce or legal separation for you. These papers start your divorce case.
Mediate An Agreement
You will meet with the attorney-mediator and your spouse in working 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.
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.
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.
Why Mediate My
Divorce
Divorce Mediation is proven as the most effective approach for divorce. You stay in control of your divorce case and you make the decisions for you and your family, not a judge or lawyer. You also save money, paying for one impartial professional rather than multiple professionals with differing goals. Also, mediation takes far less time than any of the other available options.
We believe anyone can successfully mediate their divorce or legal separation. In fact, statistics show children do much better when parents mediate. We provide a customized process that allows couples to move quickly and successfully through their divorce process. We provide the legal knowledge you need to make the right decisions for you and your family. We take the complexity of divorce and make it simple.
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.
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
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?
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.
Finding a reputable divorce mediator in San Diego 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 San Diego, 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.
Testimonials
See what we’ve been able to do for others like you.
- 5
"Dina Haddad and Families First made a difficult process so much easier for us. For families with complex situations, Dina is the perfect choice. She has so many potential solutions at her fingertips and offers good advice while working through the choices. We were grateful to have found her and Families First."
Lynn
- 5
“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... Samira and Deborah are organized, professional, empathetic, knowledgeable, and efficient. They made the process simple and clear, ensuring both parties were satisfied. They answered and addressed all questions and concerns always being neutral. I’ll highly recommend it if you want to avoid the courtroom and save some headaches! Thank you Samira and Deborah!!!!”
Andres
- 5
"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 ideas and alternatives that you may not think about with a traditional divorce. She is always fair and good at maintaining rules and boundaries. I would recommend her to anyone that has to go through this grueling process."
Veronica
- 5
"We like the way Dina Haddad and Families First Mediation made the well-being of our kids their top priority. They guided us through what could have been a messy process, and looked out for the best interests of both of us. Dina and Deborah were easy to work with, and made our divorce much less stressful than it would have been if we had gone through opposing lawyers."
John
- 5
"Very good experience. Dina knows how to get everyone on the same page while keeping both parties on friendly terms. This was a very amicable resolution thanks to Dina. I would highly recommend anyone going through this versus hiring separate attorneys and ending on not so friendly terms. We are still friends and care for the welfare of each other, well worth it!"
Steven
- 5
"The transition out of marriage has been difficult and emotional. Dina has shown excellent professionalism throughout the process. She has a warm sensitivity that allows both parties to see what is most beneficial for the family unit. I thank her for all her hard work and her quick email responses during this challenging time. Dina comes with quality legal experience and advocates for BOTH sides. Most of all, I am thankful that she has helped our family as a whole work through this. My children and my ex-husband can now move forward and rebuild our lives. Thank you Dina."
Annie
- 5
"For anyone out there navigating the legal complexities and emotional fallout of a divorce with children involved, I’d recommend Dina and Families First Mediation without a shred of reservation. She was able to skillfully work with us in acknowledging the emotional ramifications with compassion, while always maintaining a fair-minded and focused approach throughout that kept the process moving. In the end, we arrived at an agreement that was in the best interest of all parties involved, without needing to set foot in a court room or throw thousands of dollars away in litigation. Thank you, Dina!"
Jonathan
- 5
"While this process can be full of emotion and never easy, Dina showed excellent professionalism and compassion during the entire process. We selected her after speaking with several mediators. She was thoughtful, thorough, and patient in explaining what to expect. Throughout the process, she explained the various pros and cons of each decision, made sure we understood the various details of each point, and was creative in finding alternative ways to reach solutions when necessary. Her suggestions were fair and she never pressured us into a decision until we were ready. I've already recommended her services to several other people and will continue to do so."
Carla
- 5
"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. They made a difficult transition seamless, which is not easy to do given the reason people go to see them in the first place. Dina always made sure to be fair to both of us in a gentle, yet poignant way. I wouldn't hesitate to use her services again should the need arise, and would highly recommend her to anyone!"
Sharon
- 5
"Dina and Deborah helped us maintain our MSA, even years later, with the same kindness and professionalism as the first time we all worked together. We've both come to trust FFM after both of us would independently check-in with our lawyers. Dina and FFM never failed to give us both fair and reasonable advice and direction."
Matt
- 5
"Families First really helped make a difficult process seamless and helped us keep our friendship intact. Thanks to Dina and Deborah, we were able to look at everything honestly, openly, and together in a safe and friendly manner. They are wonderful!"
Dolores
- 5
"Dina is very knowledgeable both in terms of the divorce laws and accounting. She is a great listener and amazing in finding a solution that works for both parties. She has a very creative mind to resolve conflicts be it about child custody, scheduling or asset division."
David
- 5
"The divorce process went smoothly with Samira and Deborah's help. I appreciated their feedback and advice during mediation. Samira was very knowledgeable and empathetic to both sides during the process. I also appreciated her honesty and input as we went through each section of our divorce. In addition, our divorce was finalized in less than 6 months, which was very impressive. If you are looking for a more affordable option, mediation is highly recommended...Thank you Samira and Deborah for your help and I encourage you to contact Families First Mediation if you are needing assistance with your divorce process. You will not regret it!"
Crystal
- 5
"I highly recommend Dina and Deborah at Families First Mediation. Dina is awesome she helped guide us from beginning to the end through this very hard and emotional process of Divorce. I loved her compassion towards our needs and looked out for the best interest of our family. This is one of the hardest and complicated things to go through and she made sure we understood everything answering all of our questions. We really appreciate all your help and how smoothly the whole process went Thank-you."
Araceli