Mediation is an efficient and inexpensive process designed to help people reach the best agreement for them when separating, divorcing or in a post-dissolution matter. As a trained professional mediator, I can assist you in obtaining the information you need and help you focus on the issues that must be resolved in order to separate, divorce or address a post-dissolution disagreement as amicably as possible.
Mediation is a private process, not open to the public. You will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement before beginning mediation.
If you are using mediation in order to obtain a divorce, you will still have to file in court for your divorce. However, if you are able to reach a mutually agreeable resolution of all of the property, financial, custody, parenting and other issues in mediation, it is unlikely that you will have to make many, or any, court appearances. Generally, the more you do outside of the court to resolve your issues, the more likely you will reach an agreement that both of you can live with and abide by.
In my role as mediator, I am a neutral facilitator of your agreement. As a mediator, I do not give legal advice. Should you have questions requiring legal advice, you can seek the advice of an attorney while you are in mediation.
If you are seeking a divorce, an attorney who is not the mediator must be retained by one party to draft the documents that must be filed with the court. The mediator cannot represent either person in court.
If you are mediating a post-dissolution matter such as a change to your parenting agreement, there is usually a provision in your agreement that provides for resolution through mediation alone and the court will not have to be involved.
Because each separation and divorce and post-dissolution matter is different, it is hard to predict exactly how long your mediation will last. In general, a full divorce, including custody issues, division of property and assets, takes between three and eight sessions. A change to a parenting agreement may take 2 or 3 sessions to resolve. In addition, the mediator will take time to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding (in case of divorce) or other written agreement that outlines all of the agreements that you have reached through the mediation process.
Generally, mediation sessions are scheduled to last from 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the couple's needs and available time. Some couples prefer longer sessions while others find that shorter sessions are more productive.
Your mediation costs will be based on an hourly fee. The cost of mediation is generally significantly less than if each of you hired lawyers to represent you in your divorce without using mediation.
Call my office at 708-459-8234 to schedule an appointment for a free consultation.
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.
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