Mediation and Conciliation

Mediation is an alternative to litigation. It is a process in which an impartial third party facilitates communication and negotiation and promotes voluntary decision making by the parties to the dispute. Many family law matters can be resolved through mediation. Our office can assist with an initial determination as to whether your case is appropriate for this process.

Our mediators are trained to help you with reaching agreement through discussion and facilitated negotiation. There are many advantages to the mediation process versus litigation. First, the parties are the sole decision makers resulting in a resolution unique to the particular circumstances of the case. Second, after mediation, you are able to move forward amicably and preserve your relationship so that you can continue to effectively communicate with each other as future issues arise. Third, you avoid the high financial costs of litigation.

Mediation involves a collaborative process with the mediator and the parties. You will schedule and meet with the mediator in private one or two hour sessions. As many sessions can be scheduled as are necessary to resolve the contested issues. The process is voluntary and you can choose to withdraw from it at any time. The mediator is a neutral party and can provide legal information to the parties, but not legal advice.

Once an agreement is reached, our experienced family law mediators will draft all documents necessary to finalize the divorce or other matter. They will draft an agreement which concisely expresses the terms reached by the parties and the considerations weighed in reaching resolution.

Our mediators are very experienced in all aspects of family law and will assist you with a resolution that anticipates future issues and minimizes the necessity of any later court appearances. You will leave the process with an agreement that is essentially a product of your own efforts and tailored to your individual needs and circumstances.