ADR Divorce Mediation Services

In Florida, all divorce cases will be referred for mediation prior to a court date. So even if you retain separate attorneys, your case will still be referred to mediation. And mediation has a success rate of up to 90%, which means most cases will not be heard in court.

Mediation gives all participants the opportunity to speak and be heard. We help you to identify the issues that need to be resolved, to generate and consider possible solution options, to reach a mutually agreeable solution and put the agreement into a written form in understandable language. There does not need to be a “winner” and a “loser” in a divorce as long as it is kept from becoming a legal battle.

Issues to be addressed in mediation

• Children: Primary residence, visitation and contact schedules, co-parenting plans
• Division of marital property, assets, and debts
• Child support; spousal support
• Future financial issues: life and medical insurance, educational costs, taxes

Family mediation can be effective even if there is conflict between parties. Our mediators maintain a neutral role and do not take sides. Mediators cannot give legal or financial advice, do not pass judgment on what is right or wrong, and do not have decision-making authority.

The strength of mediation lies in its practical approach to the issues at hand. This is particularly helpful for couples wishing to establish a positive co-parenting plan for the benefit of their children. Mediation helps couples set aside their differences, and focus on solutions that meet the interests and needs of all involved, both the adults and the children.

However difficult it may be to work on a parenting plan, there is one undeniable truth: you are the only people who know your children, their needs, and the ability of each parent to meet those needs. By working together to make a plan that fits both your lives, you avoid the court's cookie-cutter solutions. Statistics show that parents who prepare a plan jointly are more likely to comply with it than if a plan is imposed upon them by a Judge who doesn’t know anything about the family.