What to Expect at Mediation
/The mediation process will vary depending on when you mediate and who you choose as your mediator. If you mediate before you file with the court, it’s considered ‘private’, and you choose your mediator. If you file with the court first, you’ll likely be ordered by the court to mediate. In that case, you can still choose your mediator, or you can let one be chosen for you by the mediation program for the county your case is in.
For my private (pre-file) clients, here’s how my process goes:
Beginning
I ask you to begin pulling together financial information on worksheets I share with you. It can be a lot of work, so it’s usually done over time and not always complete before we meet for the first time (and that’s okay!).
If you have children, begin considering what your parenting plan might look like. And if you have a house or other property, you’ll want to begin thinking about what you might do with it. We’ll talk through all of this.
Meetings
We meet for several short sessions (on Zoom) to talk about everything that needs to be talked about. This always includes finances, parenting (if applicable), and property. It can also include other issues such as pets.
These meetings, as well as any communication between meetings, are confidential. Also, know that all decisions on the issues are made by the two of you. My role is to facilitate the conversations and the process but not to tell you what to do. I can share with you examples and we can talk through the pros and cons of any available option, but you decide in which direction you want to go. Ultimately, the outcome of the process is up to you.
Ending
We collect all the agreements in a single Mediation Agreement document. We make sure it reads exactly as you want it to and that it is very detailed and specific. You can then use this information to fill out the necessary court forms so you can file an Uncontested Divorce (the easier kind).
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