Are you and your spouse considering divorce but are having trouble agreeing on property division, child custody, and other points of conflict? Mediation can often help both parties to a divorce find ways to minimize arguments and seek common goals. The dedicated Orlando family law attorneys at the Law Office of Paulette Hamilton, P.A. can help you find success through mediation in a divorce case. Contact our compassionate Orlando mediation lawyers today at (407) 420-2311 to learn more about how we can help you.
Our lawyers have years of experience mediating Orlando divorce agreements and helping their clients move on in life. Whether you are thinking about filing for divorce or a case has already been filed, it helps to know that mediation is an option and can help you settle disputes without the need for contested court hearings. Here, we will discuss how mediation works in divorce or child custody cases and how we can help you.
How the Law Office of Paulette Hamilton, P.A. Can Help You Mediate Your Divorce
Mediation is a helpful alternative to combative court hearings and endless litigation in a divorce case. In Orlando, mediation may be a mandatory part of some contested divorce cases. Even if you disagree on major issues in your divorce, there are ways to find solutions through mediation. Not all family law attorneys make good mediators, however. Successful mediation of a divorce case requires experience and training to handle the complex challenges and dynamics of family law disputes.
Your case is important, and you deserve a mediator who fully understands the Florida divorce process and can help you negotiate a fair result. Since divorce and custody disputes can involve your home, property, bank accounts, and, most importantly–your children–you don’t want your mediation to be left to just anybody. Law Office Of Paulette Hamilton Divorce Lawyers, cares about your goals and future, so we emphasize our mediation skills and training. We take pride in being a premier destination for family law mediation in the Orlando area.
When you hire our team to conduct your divorce mediation, we will:
- Explain the mediation process and make sure your questions are answered
- Listen to you and discuss your goals for the mediation itself and what comes next when the divorce case ends
- Develop an effective mediation strategy to get the most out of the process
- Communicate and negotiate with your spouse and their attorney if they are represented
- Thoroughly prepare for your mediation and review the key issues before we meet
- Make sure you have time to consider options so you don’t feel pressured
- Make sure you are an active participant in the process–after all, this is your mediation, and your life goals are involved.
Our Orlando mediation lawyers understand what you are going through because they’ve mediated cases for other people just like you. You can trust that we have the experience, skill, dedication, and compassion to help you find a fair outcome in the divorce process. Contact our team today to schedule your consultation with an Orlando family law attorney.
What Is Mediation?
Mediation is a type of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that can be used to settle disputed issues without the court’s involvement. Mediation is increasingly popular for couples in the midst of a divorce. Through mediation, parties to a divorce or custody case have a say in what gets decided and what a divorce settlement looks like for them. The alternative of leaving everything up to a judge runs the risk of a negative result that has long-term consequences.
Mediation is an informal process that usually takes place at a law office or similar setting. It can last from a couple of hours to a full day or even multiple days. The meeting usually takes place at a neutral location to ease tension for both sides.
When mediation starts, the mediator will seek to define the issues involved and narrow down the crucial points that are in dispute. Often, mediation is a joint session with both parties (and their attorneys) in the same meeting room. Sometimes, the parties are split into different rooms so they can review options privately. In cases where domestic violence is an issue, mediation can be safely held in separate areas so a victim does not have to confront their abuser.
Mediation is a confidential process, which means the words exchanged can’t be used against you later in court and would not be part of a public record. The mediator keeps any offers, promises, statements, or terms of the agreement confidential. The only information that would not be kept confidential are terms meant to be placed into a court order.
If mediation is unsuccessful, there is no penalty to the parties involved. They simply move on with their case. If mediation is successful, the agreement can become part of a final settlement approved by the judge in your case.
What Are the Benefits of Mediation?
Family law cases are usually full of conflict because of what’s involved. In a divorce, contested issues can include custody, time spent with your children, property, and bank accounts, and what happens to your marital home. Both sides will dig in their heels and can view the other person as the “enemy.” Mediation helps break the ice and get parties to see eye to eye again.
Some of the benefits of mediation include:
- It saves money. If you can settle your differences through mediation, you’ll achieve a less costly result than going through the time-consuming and expensive process of divorce litigation.
- It saves time. Through mediation, you could resolve your case in a matter of days rather than a litigation process that can take months or sometimes over a year.
- Your details are kept confidential. Discussions held in mediation are between you, your spouse, and the mediator. Court hearings and filings, on the other hand, are usually matters of public record. Mediation keeps your personal and financial details mostly private in comparison.
- It helps your children. If you and your spouse share children, you face the prospect of co-parenting for years to come. Through mediation, you can work toward easing the tension and finding a cooperative way to plan for your children’s care. Children also can’t help but notice when their parents are engaged in a long and hostile divorce or custody case. Mediation can help avoid that outcome.
- You get to decide what happens. In a court hearing, testimony and evidence are shown to a judge. The judge, who perhaps you’ve never seen before and might never see again, will then decide what happens with your property and your children. Mediation gives you the chance to have control over the outcome. A settlement agreed on through mediation will include provisions that you chose to include, and terms that are helpful to you and your children.
Contact our team to further discuss how mediation might benefit you in your particular case.
How Much Will It Cost to Hire an Orlando Mediation Lawyer?
Hiring a mediation lawyer to mediate your divorce will normally cost much less overall than hiring private attorneys to litigate a contested divorce. How much it will cost to hire a mediator will often depend on the issue in your case and the complexity involved. An experienced mediation lawyer will be able to review the nature of your case and estimate how much the mediation cost will be.
Some factors that affect the cost of mediation include:
- Whether child custody is an issue
- Whether the parties are on equal financial footing, or property must be divided to compensate for one spouse’s lack of resources and earning power
- The amount and types of property owned by the divorcing couple
- Any commingling of non-marital assets
- Any business interests owned by both or either party
- The length of the marriage
- The willingness of both parties to negotiate
Contact our Orlando family law attorneys and a mediation lawyer can give you an estimate of how much mediation might cost in your case. Whatever the cost may be, it is almost certainly far less than the cost of fighting all of your battles in the courtroom.
Do I Need An Attorney to Represent Me During Mediation?
You are not required to have your own attorney for mediation. If you choose to represent yourself in the process, you can go to mediation alone (one disclaimer being that the lawyer conducting your mediation does not represent you and cannot advocate for you). If you and your spouse both have attorneys already, it is recommended that they both participate in mediation as well.
If you have an attorney during mediation, you can take breaks to talk privately with your lawyer. Your attorney can advise you of the long-term consequences of certain settlement terms, and what your legal rights are before you agree to a settlement.
An Orlando Mediation Lawyer Can Help You Move Forward
Our dedicated Orlando family law attorneys are trusted confidants and effective mediators, helping find common goals in the midst of a stressful divorce or custody matter. With our specialized training and experience, we can help you reduce conflict and find a path forward when the things that matter to you most are at stake. Contact our dedicated legal team to learn more and schedule your consultation today.
