COMPROMISE AND RESOLVING DIFFERENCES

We provide mediation services for those who wish to utilize a less litigious means of divorcing. Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process through which the people involved in a conflict can sit down with a trained, certified neutral third party to resolve their conflict. Divorce can be a difficult decision and a painful process. When separation and divorce become inevitable, it is possible to design a process in which you and your spouse peacefully and civilly work together to make the transition. Divorce mediation is a collaborative effort between separating spouses and a mediator to develop an agreement that represents the best possible outcomes for all family members.

Divorce mediation is an alternative to the adversarial process of litigation. The purpose of mediation is to help separating, divorcing, or divorced spouses fulfill their responsibility to make final decisions. The three main benefits of arbitration are:

• Spouses can maintain control over the resolution of their case, rather than having a judge determine the outcome for them.
• Mediation is less expensive than litigation. There is little to no court time required in the intervention process and it negates both parties from having to hire individual attorneys.
• The process of mediation is faster than litigation. Most mediated cases are resolved within 90-120 days. Some litigated divorces take years to complete.
• A trained mediator can facilitate communication and negotiations between separating spouses. Rather than seeking resolution of disputes through the court system, spouses are empowered to resolve their own disputes. It is generally far less expensive and much more amicable. This is particularly important if children are involved. If you and your spouse are considering separation or divorce, the process of having a trained mediator should not be overlooked.

RATES

Your total fee for a family law case will depend on your case and situation. At your consultation we will discuss what to expect when it comes to fees. Generally, you can expect our attorneys to charge between $250 and $300 per hour, depending on what attorney is working on your case and what your situation requires. Our support staff of legal assistants and paralegals also charge for their time at rates between $100 and $150 per hour for non-attorney tasks in an effort to keep your costs down.

Predicting the total cost of your family law case is almost impossible. Oftentimes, the advance fee deposit is just enough to get your case started. While we make it our goal to conclude your case within a year, sometimes there are factors out of our control that prevent this from happening. The longer your case goes on, the more expensive your case will be. In our experience, the average cost ranges from $2,500 to $10,000. While we cannot predict exactly where your case will fall, we can promise to be as transparent as possible with you about our fees. At your consultation we will talk with you about how to best maximize your resources when working with us. We do our part to be economical with your resources and will never overbill you. Every month your bill is carefully reviewed before it reaches you. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have about billing.

You will need to make an advance fee deposit to our client trust account before we begin representation. As we do work on your case, we take money that we earned out of your trust account. If there are funds left in your trust account at the end of your case, you will receive them back via check at the conclusion of your case after all fees and expenses have been paid. This typically takes two billing cycles to complete. If you fall below the minimum balance while you case is still pending, you will need to replenish your account if you wish for us to continue representing you.

MEDIATION FAQs