Frequently asked questions
You’re splitting up. You and your spouse have agreed to this, which may be the only thing you are agreeing on now. But what happens after that?
Your friends and family are trying to be understanding and supportive, but many difficult decisions will have to be made by the two of you only.
Is there a better approach to finalizing a separation than through hiring a lawyer and hoping for the best?
Yes. And it’s called mediation.
Mediation can benefit everyone – both you, your spouse, and your children. And it’s typically far more cost-effective and outcome-effective than using lawyers and the court system.
Why use a Mediator?
Mediation empowers family members working towards ending their disagreement, allowing them to maintain control and ownership of the entire process. It emphasizes the importance of cooperation and fairness, especially when it comes to the wellbeing of children and dependents. Having qualified family, financial and legal mediators will allow both parties to understand their unique situation.
Is there proof that mediation works?
A study by Dr. Robert Emery focused on families who had filed for a contested custody hearing, a high-conflict group, over 12 years.
To randomize each couples’ direction, Dr. Emery flipped a coin to determine which families used mediation and which went through litigation.
So, what happened?
75% of the families that went the confrontational route using lawyers ended up before a judge.
For those families that used a mediator, fewer than 20% ended up in court. The average time to resolution was five hours. And, even when mediation failed, parents tended to settle out of court with the help of their lawyers and not in front of a judge. It appeared as though a couple’s experience in mediation fostered compromise and understanding that was apparently lacking in most of the couples who went directly to court.
The study also followed the families after resolution to discover what happened in the years following the separation of parents. It became clear: Mediation resulted in resolutions more quickly, cost-effectively, and without the emotional price that tended to come with couples using lawyers and the court system in this study
Is a Team of Mediators more cost-effective?
The costs of mediation are typically considerably lower than those of litigation lawyers. The hourly rate for a team of mediators is usually lower than the rate to hire two lawyers (you will each need one). More experienced mediators will cost more money than those new to the business, but that is the same as with most professions.
However, if disputes and issues can be resolved early, you are looking at thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars in savings over litigation lawyers.
Do a Team of Mediators find solutions quicker than litigation?
The court process can be long and drawn out, not to mention emotionally taxing. If you have a complex case, it’s going to be more difficult in every aspect. One of the advantages of mediation is the amount of time that it usually saves. On average, mediation reaches resolutions within three months and with significantly fewer sessions than through lawyers and the courts.
Using a team of mediators can produce much quicker, mutually agreed upon positive results that may be reached in a matter of hours or at most, days. It is not abnormal with cases that chose the litigation route to take years before coming to a conclusion. And, at that end, relationships are in a much worse state.
Is Mediation private and confidential?
In most cases, you may not want many people to know that you and your spouse are going through a separation or divorce. You might want to protect your reputation(s) and spare your family any possible embarrassment and scrutiny.
Additionally, whatever is said in a mediation meeting is kept between the two parties and the mediator. So, even in the rare event that discussions and dialogue break down and the process is transitioned to the judicial system, those discussions cannot be used in court. This gives both sides a fresh chance to defend their side.
Why trust me to mediate your separation?
I have a lengthy financial services background, having been in the industry for 15 years. I have also been through what you’re going through. I went through a divorce from 2010 to 2017, so I know first-hand the disagreements, battles, legal terms, and financial implications and costs involved in the entire process.
Now that I am a Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist (CFDS), a mediator and Collaboratively trained, I am in a great position to help the both of you find the best solution in the shortest amount of time and in a cost-effective manner.
When do I use a Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist?
If there are financial assets, liabilities or support obligations (child or spousal).
If each party has a lawyer, involving a neutral third party to assess financials can speed up the separation process while potentially reducing the costs associated with litigation.
Why use a team of Mediators?
By using an Accredited Mediator who is a family professional, a mediator that is a Chartered Financial divorce specialist, and a mediator who was a lawyer, all aspects of a separation can, and will be covered. Mediation is our specialty.
What are the benefits of Joint Mediation?
Your case will be reviewed by experts who specialize in what you’re going through. We know how to guide both parties towards solutions that have the best interests of both parties and the families involved.
How long does Mediation usually take to find a resolution?
It’s going to be different for every couple, but typically a resolution from mediation is reached within three months. It also depends on availability and how many sessions can be held over that time. Typically, Mediation resolves cases faster on average than through litigation.