Our Process

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Separation and divorce are among the most painful and disruptive events that an individual and family can experience, with its effects touching all members of the family. Family mediation is a voluntary process, alternative to traditional litigation, available to assist a family in negotiating the difficult financial and emotional process of divorce or the dissolution of a domestic relationship. Mediation is for couples who want to maintain control over the decisions that affect their lives and don’t want their children caught in the middle.​​

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Instead of fighting with each other about every issue in the court system, which is time consuming and very costly, with divorce mediation, a specially trained mediator will help you and your spouse work together to reach an agreement. Mediators help couples separate their spousal role, which is ending, from their parental role, which is continuing. Couples learn to evaluate their present financial condition and provide for their future financial needs. With the mediators help, agreements can be reached to handle both immediate and long term concerns. The mediator will focus on the relevant issues and help identify possible options. You will actively participate in the negotiations leading to reasonable solutions and a mutually satisfactory agreement that considers the needs of all family members. The divorce mediator’s job is to help a couple arrive at an acceptable settlement, with no winner or loser. The mediator is not an advocate for either party and does not make any decisions. Instead, the mediator helps the couple explore all options and their consequences. Mediation is not just for couples who already know how to cooperate. Mediators show people how to work together productively in spite of their anger. The mediator works to ensure that neither party gives away too much, nor dominates the other. Even though one party is more powerful or a better negotiator, the mediator helps to balance the power. The mediator does not take sides; instead we try to help both of you do your best.

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Puts Your Children First

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Our mediators are specifically trained to focus on the needs of the children in the family.

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Based on the latest polls of young people aged 14-22 with experience of parental separation, children and young people don’t necessarily view divorce and separation as a bad thing. 82% of young people feel that they’d rather their parents separate than stay together if they were unhappy. Kids have meaningful concerns about what happens after the decision to divorce or separate is made. 48% of young people whose parents went through divorce or separation state that their parents did not properly explain what would happen after the proceedings.These findings highlight that children and young people want to know what is going to happen after their parents separate and to have more of a say about the decisions being made. 

Mediation is an alternative to court and puts your children at the center of decisions being made about the future. We are committed to constructive resolutions to family disputes, while helping parents understand the impact of divorce and separation from a child’s perspective.  

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More Peaceful, Empowering, Personalized, Dignified and Fair

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For a successful outcome, it is vital for you to find a mediator whom you both can trust to educate you in the negotiation process.

 

Divorce is a time of great emotional pain and enormous change. You may have done your utmost to save the marriage, only to have it result in a definite end. Learning coping strategies will help you to survive the pain and loss. How is it possible to have a peaceful divorce when there is so much hurt, anger, and lack of trust? With the heartache of ending a marriage, how can you avoid the tremendous stress, pain, conflict escalation, and financial devastation of a courtroom battle?

 

For both of you to feel comfortable in divorce mediation, you must have faith that the process will be fair and that your rights will be protected. Our aim as mediators is to help you to move forward with your lives without adding emotional and financial stress of divorce through litigation.  We will guide you through the process with both of your interests in mind. This is different from litigation where lawyers are hired to represent each of you individually, pitting you against each other and often adding stress to an already painful situation. 

as opposed to the lawyers, representing each of you individually and thus, fighting for one of you against the other.  

 

 

Takes Less Time, Efficient, Convenient, and Flexible

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Most conflict in divorce can be avoided. Conflict results in longer divorce cases, and more time leads to high legal fees.

Divorce in court commonly takes from 6 months to more than 2 years. This produces high stress for spouses and children.

In mediation, the entire divorce process takes an average of 2 – 4 months. Conflict is lowered, misunderstandings are avoided, and stress is reduced. Spouses keep control of their own timeframe for divorce.

The mediation process is built and scheduled based on your needs and timelines. It provides you with all of the required tools and information, and allows for enough time between the sessions, depending on how much time you need, to gather and process the information required to make informed decisions.

 

Cost-Effective

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There are different ways to get a divorce and each varies in terms of costs.

For example: 

- a DIY or do-it-yourself divorce can range from $300 to $1,800 per couple, might not work for more complex cases

- a mediated divorce can range from $5,000 to $10,000

- a collaborative divorce can range from $25,000 to $50,000

- a litigated divorce using divorce lawyers can range from $20,000 to $200,000

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Has a Higher Rate of Compliance than Litigation

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Mediation results in a more thorough and practical agreement. It is much easier to comply with an agreement that is based on mutual input, trust, and that is reached during a mutually respected collaboration.

 

Private and Confidential

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During the mediation process all financial information, discussions, and final decisions are kept Confidential.

During litigation, court hearings are open to the public, and all case-related information becomes part of the public record.