The Mediation Process

The parties meet with a Mediator in an impartial and confidential environment.

The Mediator guides the couple through an examination of their future individual needs and the needs of others involved. This includes child and spousal support, parenting arrangements, custody, and division of property and debt.

In a series of 1 & 1/2 hour meetings (the average divorce is settled in four to six Mediation sessions), the Mediator assists the couple to structure a fair settlement agreement that is based on their decisions, not the court's.

The Mediatior addresses the long term effects of the couple's agreements. Emotional issues that interfere with a fair agreement are also addressed in Mediation.

At the conclusion of the final Mediation session, the mediator incorporates the couple's agreements into a marital settlement agreement. This agreement may be entered as a final court decree. The agreement and all other legal documents are processed and filed with the court without the couple appearing in court.

If circumstances change following divorce or separation, the parties may return to the impartial confidential environment of Mediation to negotiate new arrangements. Research shows that compliance with mediated agreements is high because the couple make their own decisions about the future.