Category: Blog

Going through a divorce can be a life-changing experience, and depending on the peculiar situation of your marriage, you may end up spending a ton of money going the litigation route. Many people are not aware though, that there’s another alternative that costs less and often results in an amicable separation. We are talking about online divorce mediation.

Why Go the Mediation Route?

A typical mediation lawyer can charge between $300-$500 per hour to act as a middle mediator that helps guide you through different problems in the divorce. When working with a mediator, a couple has more control over their decisions. Maybe they are unable to work through the problems on their own, but with the guidance of a mediator, things can suddenly become clearer and a solution that is both sensible and fair can be reached within a reasonable timeframe.

Does Online Mediation Work?

Although it’s totally fine to opt for traditional in-office mediation, many people prefer doing it online for a variety of reasons. First of all, physical mediation means that both of you have to be there in the mediator’s office. Moreover, depending on the complexity of your case, you may need to come back for multiple sessions. Such scheduling may not work for people who have a busy work schedule or who no longer live close to each other.

Online mediation makes use of advanced communication technology to overcome the limitations of not being physically in the same room. Skype is often used for making live calls. Scheduling an online mediation session is much more flexible than a traditional one. What’s more, it will cost you much less.

Make your divorce a less stressful experience by opting for an alternative to the litigation way. Online divorce mediation works no matter where you and your spouse are, costs less, and is very effective. Contact us today if you need more information.

If traditional divorce mediation isn’t ideal for any reason, you can get virtual mediation to help make the process faster, convenient, more affordable, and peaceful. The following are some of the main benefits of online mediation.

Access from Any Location

All you need to access virtual mediation is a computer or a phone with a high-speed internet connection, which allows the parties involved to be involved at any time and from any location. This is ideal for individuals with a busy schedule who normally wouldn’t be able to appear at a physical appointment as easily.

Couples can conduct mediation sessions from home, work, or while traveling. Individuals involved in the mediation can also save more time and money by avoiding travel expenses and waiting in traffic to meet up at a physical location. In many cases, divorcees may move out of town or tend to travel frequently for business, making virtual mediation far more convenient.

More Couples Can Benefit from Mediation

In many cases, it can be difficult on an emotional level for spouses to sit down with the other spouse and face them in person, which can be detrimental to the mediation process. At the same time, many couples want to avoid divorce litigation despite their unwillingness to meet in person. Couples used to need to go to court in these cases, but the advent of online mediation changed this for the better. Virtual mediation allows couples to work out their differences while allowing them to maintain a safe distance from one another.

More Mediator Options

For individuals who live in more remote rural areas or small towns, it can be a challenge to find a mediator, which used to mean that couples would have to find a mediator out of town and travel potentially great distances to meet with them, but this is no longer the case with online mediation. You can now find the ideal mediator without any need to travel out of town.

To learn more about the benefits of virtual mediation, contact us for additional information.

Divorce disputes can be long and adversarial. Mediation provides a clear alternative. In mediation, the two sides work with a mediator to calmly and reasonably discuss the dispute without assigning blame. The setting can be a private office or even online. The process takes away the high stress and drama surrounding the court experience, leading to better personal results for all family members involved.

Instead of the hostility of court, you can come to a table and a conversation. Instead of trying to prove right and wrong, you can discuss what property settlement makes sense for both of you. And instead of arguing over your children in open court, you can both talk through what will work for their best interests in a private setting.

Divorce is highly emotional. You are often arguing over some of the most personal issues in life, from your living arrangements to how often you will be with your children. In mediation, the alternate setting serves to move both sides past any dramatic and unhelpful confrontations. You can sit down with a mediator who will help both sides set aside emotions and work through the real issues. You can then come to a practical solution for these deeply personal subjects.

Despite your current disagreements, you and your (former) spouse know best what will work for your lives and what will not. An honest conversation about dividing assets or managing the children’s schedules will be much more effective than having a judge order a preset solution. Mediation puts both parties in a position to make decisions yourselves. When you are making these decisions with the help of a mediator, then any special considerations important to your family can easily become part of your unique agreement.

If you want to find workable solutions to the problems facing your family in a calm and private setting, mediation may provide the solution for you. To learn more, please contact us.

Divorce affects everyone in the family and, like families, no two divorces are alike. There are many reasons to choose mediation for divorce. One of the most important is that mediation has the ability to preserve relationships and heal families once the mediation is over. At the end of the day, divorce is about relationships. It is about navigating changed relationships and forging new ones.

Should Children Be Included In Mediation?

While the primary estrangement in a divorce is between parents, children are also being separated, although in a different way. The impact of divorce on children is significant. Should children be a part of the mediation process?

The short answer is “yes”. However, there are many factors that need to be considered. These are just a few of the things to think about when including children in mediation.

• How old are the children?
• Can children even understand what mediation is about?
• What kind of relationships do the children have with each parent and each other?
• Are there things affecting the children separate from the divorce such has disabilities, stress from school or going through a change such as puberty?

Once The Decision Is Made

Once the parents and mediator have decided that it is appropriate to include children in mediation, there are more decisions to be made. Such as:

• When to bring them into the process
• How to explain their role in the mediation and in the divorce
• Preparing them for what things will be like for them and the whole family after the divorce

How Mediation Can Help Heal Families

One of the many benefits of mediation includes the freedom to make an agreement that is good for everyone. Additionally, mediation can find a solution that is right for your family. Mediation can provide a platform where everyone in the family is heard. It can also show the divorced family that divorce doesn’t mean that the family is broken, it is just different from what it was before. Contact us. We specialize in divorce. Because your marriage broke up doesn’t mean your family has to.

Divorce is an emotionally draining period that can leave long-lasting effects on your life later on. Unless you feel like you cannot stand living any minute more with the other person, there’s still a chance for reconciliation, if both of you are willing to work at it. One of the main reasons for separation is bad communication. If you can’t communicate your needs effectively with your partner, you will end up feeling unfulfilled and unhappy. Before letting things go too far and heading for divorce, there may be something you can do to save the marriage, with the help of a divorce mediator.

Online Divorce Mediation – How Does It Work

Physical divorce mediation is good if both of you are able to physically come to the same office, sit down, and talk through the issues. However, different circumstances prevent some people from being able to physically go to a session together. Maybe they currently live far away from each other. Maybe they have a busy schedule that involves a lot of traveling. Maybe they have fought a lot and find it hard to begin a conversation face to face again. In such cases, online mediation can offer them a convenient way to work through their problems. The mediator will help facilitate effective communication between two parties so that no one will feel unheard or misunderstood. To make it work, first of all, both partners need to be willing to enter into the mediation process and have respect for the other person.

Make Online Mediation Work for You

If there’s still hope in the relationship, the most sensible thing to do is to try to fix it. With the help of an experienced mediator, you can discover issues that you may not be aware of. Those are the underlying issues that break the relationship in the first place. If you are going through a tough time, contact us today so that our mediator can help you figure out the next best thing to do with your marriage.

It’s sad when a marriage doesn’t pan out as expected. But it’s almost tragic how couples conduct themselves during the divorce process. Two people turn on each other in ways that were once unimaginable.

Why Couples Fight During the Divorce Process

When a couple decides to call it quits, they each hire an attorney to represent them. Both parties jockey for position throughout the ordeal, trying to build their case with the hope that the courts will ultimately side with them.

There’s little room for discussion or compromise. The dog-eat-dog attitude stems from the fact that the two former spouses are concerned that their “opponent” will get the better of them. The stakes are high – especially when there are children in the picture – and there isn’t much in the way of motivation for the parties to consider settling matters civilly.

It doesn’t end with the judge’s final decision either. The bitterness lingers long after the proceedings are over. It’s pretty standard for both sides to walk away feeling like they could have done better, that their ex pulled one over them, or that the system wronged them.

How Mediation Changes Everything

Mediation is a more natural way of settling a disagreement. The parties control their destiny. Instead of allowing the court system to control their fate, they work together to figure out how to resolve their differences.

A good mediator knows how to bring a semblance of teamwork to the picture. They discuss matters with both individuals – sometimes together and sometimes separately – and try to find common ground between the two. The civility helps keep everyone from using mudslinging and other tactics that escalate the dispute.

In addition to expediting the resolution, this manner of resolving issues has a long-lasting effect. Once the divorce is over, the two parties accept the conclusion – they were the ones who worked out the agreement, after all.

If someone you know is going through a divorce, let them know about the advantages of mediation. If they have any questions about the process, they should feel free to contact us for more information.

Getting divorced can be the scariest thing that you have ever gone through. Your whole life is going to change. It can also change your children’s lives. It often helps to learn as much as you can so you don’t feel struggle as much through this difficult time in your life.

Here are some common issues to discuss in a divorce.

What issues will need to be discussed in a divorce?

During your divorce, you are going to need to talk about a lot of things. These include:

• Your finances. Not only are you going to have to divide up your money, but you are also going to have to divvy up your debts. You are going to want to make sure that both of you are prepared for the future by discussing life insurance policies and your retirement plans.
• Child/spousal support. There are times when one person will need to give the other money in order to support their children (or even themselves). If one person stayed at home, you should try to continue to support him or her until he or she is able to get back on their feet.
• Your home. While one person may be able to stay in the family home, other times it is better to sell it and divide the profits between you so you can all move on.
• Your children. Child custody is usually the hardest thing to divide. Nobody is going to want to give up their children, though you need to think about their needs. Who can care for them better? Who has the time and energy to give them a good life? If it isn’t you, when does visitation suit?

How long will it take?

All divorces are different so it can be hard to determine how long yours will last. If you have a fairly simple divorce (and neither of you plan on fighting for things), you could find yourself divorced in a few weeks or months. However, most divorces aren’t simple and they can take a few months (or even years) to hammer out all of the details.

Divorce doesn’t have to be scary. A good lawyer can help you through this difficult time in your life so that you can come out on the other side better and more prepared for the future. Contact us if you prefer to go through mediation.

If you’re in the initial stages of the divorce process, you may be preparing for a drawn-out conflict with painful emotional consequences. Although divorce is always a difficult life event, mediation can make a world of difference by helping both parties reach mutual understanding. Online mediation is a convenient tool that provides an alternative to letting the courts make sensitive decisions for your family. The benefits of mediation can save the divorcing couple a substantial amount of time, money, and stress. Here’s what you should expect from the mediation process.

The Mediator Will Not Make Decisions For You

Your mediator is a neutral third party that guides the conversation to a productive conclusion everyone can live with. Unlike a judge or arbiter, the mediator does not make any decisions on behalf of you or your spouse. The mediator’s role is only to provide a helpful structure to the conversation. They can reduce tension, facilitate open communication, and move the negotiations along. Mediators will often use methods to help each spouse express their point of view clearly. Being able to understand the other person’s perspective is crucial for finding common ground and a long term resolution.

The Goals of Mediation

Making hard decisions with the guidance of a neutral party reduces conflict. Instead of letting the courts decide, a successful mediation offers divorcing couples a cost-effective opportunity to resolve disputes. More importantly, the mediation process can reduce the negative emotional fallout of the divorce process, especially if children are involved. Going forward, you will be able to use the terms established during your mediation to guide future discussions.

Issues Discussed During Mediation

During the initial stage of mediation, both parties will have a chance to list concerns. The mediator will address them systematically, making sure that each side is heard. Be prepared to talk about every aspect of your legal separation, including the division of assets and decisions about custody or child residency. Prepare for your mediation session by making sure you have a full list of relevant documents, such as information about assets, debts, income, childcare costs, mortgage or car payments, and major expenses.

Contact me to learn much more about how mediation can improve the divorce process.

Divorce is often messy and complicated. Making the decision is often scary and uncomfortable, especially when you have to tell the other person. Whether you have told your spouse or not, there are some things that you need to do right away when you are getting divorced.

Some of the first steps that you need to take in a divorce include:

Talk to a lawyer. The first thing that you should do when considering a divorce is to talk to a divorce lawyer. He or she will help you get through this difficult time, by outlining the steps that you will have to take. He or she will also prepare you for what is going to happen every step of the way.

Determine what is going to happen during the divorce. Divorce doesn’t just happen. In fact, many cases take months or even years to get through. Because of this, you need to decide what is going to happen with you and your ex during that time. Is one of you going to stay at the family home with the children until the divorce is final? Are you going to sell the home right away so you can both afford to find a new place to live? How are you going to communicate with each other during this time? Can you be civil to each other and talk about the children, or will you need to talk through a third-party?

Gather paperwork. Before you can even start to divide up your assets, you have to figure out what they are. This often takes time. Not only do you need to talk about your checking and savings accounts, but you also have to consider the home, any retirement funds, pension, and everything else that you own that has value.

The first thing that you need to do when you decide that divorce is your only option is to talk to a lawyer. He or she will help you through the entire process. You also need to determine what is going to happen while you are going through the divorce. Are you both going to continue to live in the home? Are you both going to move out? What are you going to do about the children?

Then, you have to start gathering all of your paperwork together. You need to come up with all of your assets so that you are able to split them up as fairly as possible.

Don’t hesitate to contact us today. We will help you through the whole process.

Going through a divorce is stressful, but there are ways to make it easier. Among those ways is to hire a mediator who can help divorcing partners communicate with one other. This can often prevent lengthy — and expensive — court battles, and can keep the divorce as amicable as possible. But is mediation right for your situation? What kinds of benefits can you really get from this type of dispute resolution? Here are four of the biggest benefits you and your spouse may see from the divorce mediation process.

1. An Equitable Division of Property

Making sure property is divided fairly can be difficult during a divorce. Especially if there is a lot of animosity, one spouse may try to keep the other one from getting the house, cars, money, or other assets. The mediation process can help both spouses work through these problems, so property really is divided fairly. Even if the partners don’t always agree, or like the agreement they come to, they can recognize that the agreement is fair to both of them.

2. Agreements on Custody and Support

Agreeing on child support and custody matters can be one of the most contentious issues for any divorcing couple. With good mediation services, both partners can work through their disagreements so they are able to come to terms that are best for their children. Putting kids first is something most parents want to do, but during a divorce it can be harder to let grievances against the other partner go long enough to see what’s truly right for the children.

3. Family Relationships That Stay Stronger

A divorce ends a legal relationship, but there may be much more to the issue than just the legalities of it. The well-being of young children, long-time friendships, good relationships with in-laws, business dealings, and other areas of life can be disrupted when a couple decides on a divorce. With mediation services, both partners can work together more easily, even if they don’t always agree or don’t even like one another anymore. Reducing anger and fighting between the divorcing partners can make maintaining other family relationships less stressful.

4. Fewer Detrimental Effects, Overall

A family’s assets, time, emotional health, and other issues can all be affected by divorce. When a legal mediation process is undertaken, the overall detriment to the family is reduced. That can mean better emotional and mental health, more money left for expenses, and happier people who can handle life’s issues more easily. Mediation doesn’t guarantee an easy time during a divorce, but it provides the opportunity for separating couples to address issues in ways that can make things easier for everyone involved.

For couples who aren’t sure about the process of divorce, or who can’t agree on many of the issues surrounding it, mediation can be the right answer. Exploring that option is an excellent way to take some of the stress and difficulty out of an already uncomfortable time. With some effort, couples can come to terms that they agree on, and move forward in as healthy of a way as possible.

Ready to see if mediation is right for your divorce situation? Contact me, and we can talk about the process, the goals, and your next steps.