Why Mediate?

Why Divorce Mediation Works!

Lower Conflict

Mediation avoids the polarization of the court process. Litigation encourages each of you to take extreme positions in anticipation of a fight. This escalates conflict and sets you against each other. Mediation helps you identify your needs and resources and explore creative solutions that make the most of your situation, with a vision for healthy, stable families for both you and your children.

You Control the Outcome

What you agree to, even whether you agree, is entirely up to you. You know your family better than anyone. Creating your own parenting plan allows you to tailor it to fit your children and your situation, and to make agreements about a wider range of parenting topics. Mediating your child support and settlement agreements gives you control over what resources you can expect for your new life. Litigation puts you at the mercy of the court. Judges have only a few moments and limited information to make decisions that determine your future.

Lower Cost

Mediation is a fraction of the cost of court battles. Rates for mediation are significantly lower than attorney fees, and working together reduces the amount of time required to reach an agreement. Attorneys may still be used as a resource for consultation and document review, but you save the sizable retainers and their tendency to escalate the conflict, which costs you money.

Faster

All the agreements required to complete your divorce filing can be mediated within an average of 3-5 mediation sessions. This allows you to complete your divorce within the 90-day waiting period and get on with your life. It can take as much as 6 months to get a settlement conference date, and going to trial can put your court date out a year or more, keeping your life in limbo.

Future Focused

We keep you focused on the future. Mediation is not counseling. We won’t replay the challenges in your relationship. We stay focused on creating a plan for the next phase of your life, which will make the most of the resources you have right now and set you up to be successful co-parents.

Private

Mediation is completely confidential. Both Laura Hall, as your mediator, and the two of you sign a confidentiality agreement that limits discussion of the contents of your session to yourselves and one support person each. Information shared in mediation is not admissible in court. This allows you to speak freely and explore options you might not consider in an adversarial process. It also protects your private business from being aired publicly. Only the agreements reached in mediation will become part of the court record.

Have Questions?

Call (360) 524-1762 to speak to Laura Hall, or email [email protected]