How does divorce mediation work?

I will meet with you and your spouse for a series of mediation sessions. Each session will last between 1 and 2 hours, depending on your needs and your schedule. I work virtually only, meaning you don’t need to leave your home or office to attend the sessions. Before we begin, I’ll gather information from each spouse via a detailed intake form. Then we’ll work through all of the issues that need to be resolved, including an agreement on a parenting schedule, child and spousal support, division of assets, and payment of legal and court expenses. Once you’ve reached an agreement on all the issues, I can draft a divorce settlement agreement, or you can hand over the agreed upon terms to your own lawyers to draft an agreement. Be aware, though I’m a divorce attorney, as a mediator I am not serving in that capacity. I can give you legal information based on my experience, but I cannot give you legal advice. In other words, I can’t tell you what you should do, only what you can do.

How long will it take to mediate my divorce?

It depends. If you and your spouse are committed to coming to an agreement, and the issues are relatively straightforward, it may only take 2 or 3 sessions to resolve everything. If you have complicated assets or if either spouse has a line drawn in the sand on a particular issue, it may take much longer.

How much will it cost?

I charge an hourly rate for all of my services. You and your spouse will split that rate between the two of you in whatever ratio you prefer. I charge for the mediation sessions, for time spent reviewing documents between sessions, and for any time drafting a settlement agreement or memorandum of understanding. I don’t charge for routine scheduling and billing emails. The same hourly rate applies for family mediation, prenup mediation, and review attorney work.

Is mediation confidential?

Yes, without question. Mediation is 100% confidential. As a mediator, I will never reveal either spouse’s confidences or financial information to any party outside the mediation, including your attorneys, without your explicit consent. Further, if your mediation falls apart and you end up in court, documents and communications created in mediation cannot be used by one spouse against the other.

Do I have to hire an attorney to review the agreement?

While I strongly, strongly suggest that you retain an attorney to review your agreement, I can’t force you to do so. If you’re concerned that a traditional divorce attorney will want to flip your agreement upside down, I can provide a list of attorneys that support and understand the mediation process.

What goes into a prenup?

A prenup is a roadmap for how your finances will be resolved in the event of a divorce. It can be a protective document for both parties. A prenup cannot predetermine issues of custody or parenting time, and should not contain “punishments” for things like having an affair.