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If you and your spouse or partner have made the decision to end your relationship and want to proceed in a manner that will allow you, when you're finally divorced, to feel proud of yourselves, and to remain on friendly terms with each other, then mediation is for you.

As a Family Lawyer, Mediator and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I can provide you with the expertise you'll need to create a Marital Settlement Agreement that meets your and your reconfigured family's needs. (Please review my Clarification of Services below).

Here's how I guide you through the Divorce Mediation process:

  • We'll meet for a 30 to 45 minute initial consultation.  If you choose to use my services, I request that you pay me for my time at my prorated hourly rate. If you decide not to use my services, there is no charge.  This initial consultation allows you to ask me questions and to see if we'll work well together.  
  • If you decide to use my services, I'll provide you with the following documents for you to review:
  • A Sample Agreement to Mediate into which we'll enter, explaining the mediation process, my fees, and the services I'll be performing for you; 
  • A Sample of the Online Mediation Guidelines and Ground Rules; 
  • If you have children, sample parenting plans to get you thinking about how you'll share your parenting time;
  • A road map of all of the issues that must be addressed in a Legal Separation, Dissolution of Marriage or Parentage Action.
  • Access to a Family Law Software program that will allow you to enter data related to your expenses, property, retirement plans, assets and debts.

Once you let me know you are comfortable signing the Agreement to Mediate and the Online Mediation Guidelines and Ground rules, I will personalize them for you.  I will send them to you for your Docu-Signatures.  Then we will schedule individual one-hour sessions before our first joint session.

  • Mediation sessions are scheduled in two to three-hour blocks.
  • I've found that many clients are able to negotiate the terms of their Marital Settlement Agreements in two to four sessions.
  • However, if there's a lot of conflict in your relationship, more sessions may be required; and I may suggest that you seek the independent advice of other professionals (i.e., financial specialists, mediation-friendly attorneys or psychotherapists), to help you through the process.

During subsequent mediation sessions:

  • I can help you complete and file the Petition, other initial court documents, Response and financial disclosures or you can hire someone else to do this for you.
  • We'll address each agenda item until all items have been negotiated;
  • I'll provide you with a written summary of your Mediation Session and a "to do list" of tasks you must complete, and information you must gather, before the next mediation session.

When all agenda items have been negotiated,

  • I'll prepare your Marital Settlement Agreement or Stipulation for Judgment of Dissolution and then you'll each have your own attorney review it.
  • I can provide you with referrals to mediation-friendly attorneys for this purpose. 
  • Then you'll be ready to file your final court documents:
  • I can help you prepare the final drafts of your court documents for filing, or you can hire someone else to do this for you.

Clarification of Services: I am a family lawyer, mediator and licensed psychotherapist. For ethical and legal reasons, when I’m serving as a mediator, I don't provide my mediation clients with legal advice or psychotherapy and I don't serve as the couple's or either party's attorney or psychotherapist. Nor do I provide psychotherapy or counseling for individuals for whom I've previously served as a mediator. Please feel free to discuss this with me if you have any questions or concerns.

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