If you decide that mediation is not for you, you always have the option to pursue the court route to divorce.  It is not uncommon for couples to resort to litigation and then return to mediation once they experience the significant time, money and stress inherent in taking a divorce to court.  You can also choose to mediate specific issues, such as custody and/or child support.

We will meet in a series of mediation sessions, usually 2-3 hours long. During your first meeting, we will identify the issues the parties want to discus, the order of importance and what information needs to be gathered and shared.

Between the first and second session, each party will gather all relevant financial data, and if necessary, I will seek the opinions of experts (such as appraisers or accountants) with this material treated with the same care and concern as would it be in the litigated divorce. Following sessions will revolve around how to meet the needs of both parties. I will also provide necessary information about the court system and common ways divorce issues are resolved. Once an agreement has been reached, I will draft your final judgment for each party to review before signing and filing with the court.

Even though many mediating couples are amicable and work well in mediation there are also couples who are very emotional about the divorce and don't think they can negotiate face to face. Part of every qualified mediator's training is in assisting couples that would still like to work things out peacefully. People do calm down and become effective mediation participants when they see the process can work without adding to the high emotional and financial cost of divorce.

Mediation is not binding until both parties sign their final judgment and file it with the court – once this is done the agreement becomes a binding contract. In order to create the Final Judgment, I will memorialize interim decisions and agreements at the end of each session. Once all of the issues have been addressed, these interim agreements are combined to form the basis of your Final Judgment.