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Family Mediation
Our Family Mediation Program provides you with a neutral mediator trained to help you reach agreements about the following types of issues: - Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce)
- Dissolution of Domestic Partnership
- Legal Separation
- Post Judgment Modifications
- Child Custody and Visitation
- Spousal Support
- Property Division
- Parent/Child Disputes
- Other Family Issues
Call us at: 714.567.7470 to schedule a free orientation session Frequently Asked Questions:  For family disputes that require court orders you may reach agreements in mediation that you can use to submit a stipulated agreement to the court. Mediating the dissolution of your marriage (divorce) or domestic partnership involves reaching agreements about all property, support, custody and visitation issues the court requires you to address. At the conclusion of the mediation the agreement you reach may be submitted to the court in the form of a judgment. The agreed upon judgment may be processed by the court without requiring either party to appear in court. Our program can also assist you by reaching mediated agreements about other family issues that do not require a court order. Other family issues may include; communication issues, care for elderly parents, sibling disputes, reconciliation and child discipline issues. top of page Mediation can be a significantly less expensive, quicker and more satisfying process than litigating your matter. Mediation is particularly useful for family issues because you can create solutions that specifically meet the unique needs of your family. As your relationship changes you must negotiate new ways of interacting. The mediation process is designed to promote open and productive communication so both parties have the opportunity to express their needs. Divorcing families will frequently have ongoing interactions after the divorce. Mediation allows you to consider how you will interact in the future should there be an ongoing relationship. By resolving your family law issue through the non-adversarial mediation process you learn skills that can help you peacefully manage changes or difficulties in the future. top of page The process begins with a free one hour orientation where you and the other party will meet the mediators assigned to your case, be given an outline of the process and sign an agreement for services should you decide to proceed. The mediation sessions will take place in our office in central Orange County. Both parties sit at a table with the mediators assigned to your case. Each of you will have an opportunity to express what you would like and how you propose to resolve the issues before you. The mediators guide you through the process by helping you generate solutions and communicate your interests. The mediators are skilled in using specific interventions to help you move toward an agreement. The mediators will send you a letter after your session summarizing the agreements made in that session. At the conclusion of the entire mediation you will walk away with a settlement agreement. top of page If you reach a partial agreement, those agreements can be submitted to the court. You can then use other mean of resolving the outstanding issues. You may choose to have your attorneys negotiate an agreement, have an arbitrator decide various issues or litigate your issues in a court trial. top of page Mediation usually costs much less than hiring attorneys to represent each spouse. We charge a $25 administrative fee for all cases. If you meet our income eligibility you may receive our mediation services free of charge. If you do not meet our income eligibility requirements each party will be charged a reasonable sliding scale fee. top of page At the very least it is recommended that you have an attorney review any agreements you reach prior to signing them and submitting them to the court. You may wish to have an attorney advise you through the mediation process or coach you about what you may agree to. It is not necessary for you to have an attorney represent you at any stage through the mediation process but it is encouraged. top of page We have Spanish speaking mediators on staff. Mediation in other languages may be available depending on the availability of volunteer mediators. top of page Mediation is a voluntary process. We can only mediate agreements if both spouses are willing to participate in mediation. top of page Reaching a settlement agreement that covers all issues in your divorce may take from three to eight mediation sessions. Each mediation session lasts no more than three hours. Being restored to the status of single takes six months and a day from the time the petition is served on the respondent or the respondent appears in the action. Other orders you agree upon such as support, custody and property division may be made shortly after filing them with the court. top of page Call us at 714.567.7470 to ask any other question you may have and/or schedule a free no-obligation orientation session where you will learn more about the services we offer. top of page
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