Divorce and separation
A separation you settle in sessions, not in a hearing room
Two people, one mediator and a list of what has to be decided, taken in the order you choose.
Most couples who come to us have already agreed on more than they think. We start with that, write it down, and spend the sessions on the few things still open.
Sessions can be at our office or by video, with a private call first so each of you can say what you’re worried about before you sit down together.
How it runs
One mediator for the whole matter
Sessions in person or by video
A written agreement your lawyers can review
3 hrs
for one session, one flat fee each9 hrs
across up to three sessions, one flat fee each
What gets decided
The parts of a separation we work through
Parenting time and holidays
A weekly rhythm, school breaks and who handles what when a child is sick.
Support and shared costs
Child support, spousal support and how you’ll split school and medical bills.
The home and the accounts
Who stays, who buys out whom, and how savings and retirement are divided.
Debts and insurance
Cards, loans and who keeps which policy once you live apart.
When mediation is not the right room
Mediation works when both people can speak for themselves and neither is afraid of the other. We ask each of you about that on your private call, before anything is scheduled.
If either of you feels unsafe with the other, we’ll say so plainly and point you to a lawyer or an advocate instead, because we don’t mediate when one person is afraid of the other. We also stop if one of you is hiding assets or won’t share the numbers.
What mediation leaves to a court
A mediator can’t make an order or file anything. Your agreement becomes enforceable once your lawyers, or a court, turn it into the right paperwork. Filing fees are paid by you, separately.
Start with the call, not the argument
Twenty minutes, one at a time or together, to see whether mediation fits.