You don't have to spend your child's college fund on lawyers to get divorced or end up hating each other.

There is another way.

Mediation is a confidential process that helps you reach agreements outside of court. Mediation is less expensive than litigation and can help you keep your coparenting relationship intact for the benefit of your kids.

My goal, as your mediator, is to help you communicate in a healthy, respectful and effective manner so that you can come to decisions you both feel comfortable with and get through this process with as little cost and conflict as possible.

• General education on the divorce process and what your options are

• Explanation of what information/documents you will need to gather to prepare for mediation and/or actually "file" for divorce

• Working with you both through the parenting plan template, timesharing options and details you may not have thought of

• Providing alternative options to help you reach agreement

• Helping you communicate effectively so you can come to terms on difficult financial decisions​

• ​Running child support and/or alimony calculations so you can agree on acceptable support terms

• Connecting you with other professionals who can help you navigate complex calculations and decisions (experts in divorce finances, mortgages, retirement accounts, etc.)

• Connecting you with reputable and ethical attorneys who will ensure you have covered all your bases without charging unnecessary fees or creating conflict

Generally, I meet with clients on Zoom because it is the most convenient option for my clients to schedule meetings when they are both available. I do have an office and access to a conference room, so I am able to do sessions in person, but there is no evidence that doing sessions in person would lead to a better outcome. 

The short answer is yes. 

The long answer is: You made all (or most) of your parenting and financial decisions up to this point without lawyers. If you can work together to unravel your marriage amicably, without lawyers, then no, you do not need lawyers to get divorced. In fact, in the majority of divorce cases in Central Florida, one or both parties is “pro se” (meaning they do not have an attorney).

I always recommend that if my mediation clients have any questions or reservations about the agreements they have come to, they get a consultation with an attorney. This can happen at any time during the mediation process or you can simply bring an attorney in at the end to review the documents prior to signing.

I have a list of wonderful lawyers who I can refer you to who will not charge you an arm and a leg or try to create conflict between you and your ex unnecessarily.

The short answer is “it’s up to you.”

The long answer is: It depends on how motivated and organized you both are. We can meet for one hour per week or two (or three!). We can meet once per week or twice per week. We can move through a parenting plan in a few sessions or it can take longer if you run into roadblocks where you can’t find alignment on key issues. 

My job is to help you communicate effectively and find solutions that can work for both of you and keep you moving forward through the process.

But, at the end of the day, I cannot force you to move at a certain pace. 

The fastest case I have had took only a few weeks to finalize both the Parenting Plan and MSA. Then, they had a final hearing with their judge a couple months later. The entire process took about 4 months from their first phone call to me to their final judgment. On the flip side, I have had cases drag on for a year because one person was just not ready to finalize anything or they had challenges in gathering all the information needed. 

How long this takes is really determined on a case by case basis, but I will do everything in my power to help you move to the next chapter of your lives efficiently.

Mediation is also highly effective and widely used to resolve paternity cases, create parenting plans and calculate child support. Many of the issues in a paternity case are very similar to the issues in a divorce case. 

I have an office at 5750 Canton Cove, Winter Springs, FL 32708 but I work remotely with clients all over the State of Florida. Most of my clients prefer to meet via Zoom because it is easier to schedule, but I can do in person sessions at my office.

I am a State of Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, which means I am certified to mediate divorce and paternity cases all over the State of Florida.