Mediation & Conflict Resolution
We Take Justice to Heart
Gary Divorce understands how trying a divorce can become. We want to help you make the best choices, the right choices for you and the ones you love.
Through our online and in person services, we are committed to help you obtain the outcomes you want and need in order to move forward with your life plans and goals. Ideally, we would like to help you move through a peaceful and rational divorce process. Although this doesn’t always end up being the case, we will give you our very best so you can work towards a healthy, sustainable future.
Our priorities are your priorities.
What is the Significance of Mediation in Divorce?
Whether you are on tenuous terms with your spouse and need a third party to assist with communication and negotiations, or you are interested in a peaceful mutual separation process, our mediators at Gary Divorce will serve to guide and advise you from start to finish. Mediators wear many hats. They can serve as counsel, advocates, the middle-man, and planning management depending on your specific needs in your situation. Even if you are simply in the middle of a heated argument, our mediators can step in to help you find an ideal solution.
Conflict doesn’t always have to end in divorce.
But if you are trying to divorce your spouse then you should consider mediation instead of litigation. Mediation gives you and your partner an opportunity to have a separation harmoniously. An amicable split-up is particularly advantageous in a situations where decisions will still have to be made together about a child or children such as in terms of child support. Using a mediator will maintain a calm and rational tone throughout your separation process.
Unlike litigation, mediation also lets you influence the result of your divorce case by saving money and time, avoiding stress, and helps better manage your mental and emotional well-being. Children can be emotionally affected by the whole process of divorce litigation. And the reality is, the cost of hiring a divorce lawyer can be twice or up to ten times the cost of mediation.
Furthermore, mediation is favored as the compliance rate of a negotiated settlement compared to a court resolution. The main reason is that through mediation, you and your partner personally work towards and agree to a mutual decision. With mediation, divorce does not have to be ugly and end in hatred and bitterness.
Divorce Mediation
As a mediator, we can either represent the interests of our client or serve as an arbitrator. A separation mediator has the ability to provide legal advice, much like the function of an attorney. When you hire Gary Divorce as a mediator we can help you and your significant other come to a win-win solution that works for all parties involved. We can also serve to act as your attorney in the courtroom and even in the course of mediation, to represent your interest.
Legal Representation
Whether you choose us to serve as your mediator or attorney, you can be sure of getting a service that is tested and proven, kindhearted and considerate. Our clients are always supplied with comprehensive information on separation and available divorce options such as a domestic partnership. Every case is unique in its own way, and we will cater to your personalized needs and interests.
Our attorneys and mediators do not wait for our clients to ask questions before providing answers. Because we are knowledgeable and experienced, you are guaranteed to be well prepared through our thorough methodologies covering divorce issues you may have not even thought about. We will acquaint you with the divorce process and provide you with appropriate solutions so that you are always in an informed position to succeed in any dispute.
What are the Roles of a Mediator?
A separation mediator is simply an impartial third party with the right training to assist couples in consultations and negotiations to resolve a dispute. In the conflict resolution process, a mediator does not advance the interest of any party. The role of a mediator is to provide unparalleled guidance in the process of mediation in an effort to come up with an amicable solution.
In case you require a mediator for resolving any legal dispute you can always contact Gary Divorce. Apart from the extensive training and experience in mediation, the attorney is always level-headed which is useful in resolving any legal issue.
Some of the Tasks a Mediator can Perform Include:
Identification of amiable solutions for resolving any dispute.
Make it possible for both parties to be heard. The sides involved in a dispute must be given sufficient time to communicate.
Familiarize the parties with appropriate information concerning the existing legal regime.
Ensure there is clarity in communication by asking any relevant questions
Explain how judges and attorneys may view a legal issue.
Allow unbiased discussions concerning divorce issues like child care and custody.
The Mediation Process
Generally the process of mediation involves the mediator and the disputing parties meeting to discuss problems and outcomes in one or multiple sessions.
I. First Mediation Meeting – In the first mediation meeting you and your partner, together with the mediator, need to establish a particular cause of disagreement. Once the issue has been identified there is also a need to agree on the type of information and documents to be availed as evidence to help in settling the conflict. Some of the documents that may be needed include completed financial and bank statements, proof of current income, and a will. As well the view of an expert, such as an accountant, may be useful in the process.
II. Subsequent Discussions – After the first mediation meeting, numerous discussions often occur to find a deal that works for both parties. To facilitate the process, a mediator is tasked with familiarizing both parties with relevant information on the court regime and alternative ways of settling divorce issues.
III. Meditation Agreement – Once an agreement has been identified and settled on all divorce issues, the mediator has to prepare the formal agreement which you and your partner have to examine. You should take time to review the document in the company of your attorney before signing.
You Might be Wondering...
The duration a mediation process takes depends on a number of factors including the difficulty of navigating the divorce issues and the flexibility of the parties. In a nutshell each divorce case tend to be different, complete with their own unique obstacles, which has a significant bearing on the length of the process.
Simple divorce cases last from one month to two months with about three or four sessions each lasting about two hours. On the other hand, completion of a complicated and heated divorce case may take up to six months to over a year.
There is no complicated divorce case that cannot be resolved by a professional and experienced mediator. A mediator relies on statements from both parties, information and documents availed, and the input and expert opinion of professionals such as lawyers and accountants. If you are facing a complex divorce case, you can find comfort in knowing our legal practitioners at Lady Justice will handle your case with dedication and care. Just be prepared that things like this take time and your problems won’t disappear overnight.
Understandably, it is a common occurrence that you and your spouse may disagree on one or several divorce issues without a reasonable solution. When such a situation occurs the divorce mediator can write an agreement on the other matters determined.
For the pending issues, you may take your time to do a bit of consideration before returning to the negotiation table. The last course of action when an agreement cannot be arrived at is litigation where a judge makes a rational decision for you.
Hiring a legal service means your rights are always safeguarded. It is always advised that if you are faced with a divorce case you should consult with an expert divorce attorney as the process is complex. A lawyer can also act as a mediator to guarantee that the divorce dispute between you and your spouse is resolved peacefully and away from the courts.