Divorce-Mediation
Testimonials
As an expert quoted in Forbes Magazine, The Divorce Help Clinic is the place to turn when divorce is looming. Get it done quick and right!
Divorce Mediator Qualifications: All of the mediators at The Divorce Help Clinic have their law degrees, strong experience in family law, are Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) and have specific training in DIVORCE mediation. These are three qualities that make us stand out against our competitors.
Divorce-Mediation is an alternative to litigation (where attorneys battle against each other to win). Mediation is about talking constructively about the issues you and your spouse have not been able to agree on, on your own. It’s not the easiest thing to do in normal circumstances and in the face of highly charged issues (i.e. children, finances, support), it’s harder still. This is especially true when you’re frustrated. Mediation works because you have a trained, experienced professional mediator helping you. Our mediators help you describe and hear what’s most important to both of you, to reach a common understanding about your situation, and come to an agreement or other solution.
Perks for our Mediation Clients: As a customer of The Divorce Help Clinic, you also receive the following as part of your mediation package for no additional charge:
1. Divorce Co-Parenting Class (San Diego Court approved) Coming Soon!
2. Divorce Support Groups (Attend as often as you want)
Mediation DOES the Full Divorce from Start to Finish. A common misconception is that mediation only completes part of the divorce process. The Divorce Help Clinic™ is a full service mediation firm and we do everything from filing the divorce petition, serve the other spouse, assist the couple to make decisions on support, division of finances as well as debt, and custody and visitation. In addition, we complete the legal documentation, notarize the final Marital Settlement Agreement and file everything with the court. Best of all, you and your spouse never have to go to court.
COST. We have a flat rate fee as well as an hourly fee. We do NOT have hidden fees. The initial quote we give you is all you will ever pay. There are too many mediators in town who tell you one price to get you in the door, only to learn later you will be paying thousand of dollars more than what you were quoted. We do not work this way. What we quote is what you pay.
Free Mediation Consultation. We offer a free 30-minute mediation consultation for you and your spouse to come in and get your questions answered.
How Mediation Works. You meet with a mediator, both individually and together. This helps to focus on identifying the situation, on what’s important to everyone concerned, and on what possibilities there are for improvement. It is the mediator’s job to help you talk together directly in a way that gets you to the solutions you need.
Why Mediation Works. Mediation works because it’s designed from the start to reach an agreement. Everyone is kept on track toward getting to the decision you can all agree on. It works because you have the assistance of a trained, professional mediator.
The mediation is structured to create a different quality of discussion. Instead of debating about what might happen in court, you talk about what’s important to you. Instead of arguing over legal rights and obligations, you identify your priorities. Instead of exchanging threats, you exchange ideas. Instead of weighing what a judge might do, you weigh options.
Spanish Interpreter Available (by appointment only & for an additional $40 per hour)
Divorce Mediation is:
- 90% less expensive than using attorneys to divorce
- Confidential and private
- On your time schedule, not the Court's
- Tailored to your family's needs
- Divorce mediation offers a sane and affordable alternative
What if we can't Agree? People can reach productive solutions even when they don’t see eye to eye. Sustainable solutions come from collaborative negotiations. Clear-eyed assessments of the situation. Squarely facing the problem. Frank discussions about what is going to take to solve it. Unvarnished appraisals of what’s possible and what’s most important. Structured exchanges of value. These are the negotiations that produce durable agreements.
Will a Mediated Divorce be Private? The entire process of mediation is done discretely and confidentially. Court records in lawsuits are public records and accessible to anyone unless you can convince the court that they must be sealed. Recently, at least in this area, the courts have been a lot more hard-nosed about not sealing court records.
"In mediation, the private issues discussed in session as well as your personal and business finances are kept out of public records. When using attorneys to obtain a divorce, nothing is private. Any "Joe" can access your information at any time."
Your mediation is protected by laws which provide that what happens in mediation is privileged—that it can’t be brought out in court and will not become public record for any “Joe” who wants to access your information when he pleases.
The Court guarantee confidentiality for those using the diplomacy of mediation. The goal is to encourage people to agree on their own without clogging the courts with their fighting. It's not about compromising but bargaining the right arrangement for each person.
Legal Advice. There’s no better way for you to be informed of your legal rights and obligations than by hiring a “consulting attorney” (paid by the hour) to get advice on your options, gain a clear understanding of what’s going to happen if you don’t reach an agreement, to have someone to make sure your rights are protected, and to have someone supportive on your side.
Document Preparation in Mediation: Although our mediators cannot and do not represent you within the mediation (as they work as neutrals), they do have graduated from law school and are therefore able to draft and file all of the necessary documents to initiate and finalize your divorce, including your Marital Settlement Agreement.
Role of Attorney in Mediation: Following mediation, the contents of your Marital Settlement Agreement is transcribed to reflect the agreements you and your spouse want in the final judgement. While you do not need to retain an attorney to finalize your divorce, it is HIGHLY recommended that you consult with an attorney (typically only 2 hours) to review your Marital Settlement Agreement prior to signing it. You may also choose to use an outside consulting attorney to review the Agreement from your own personal perspective and give you feedback as to the agreements made.
Lawyers who Mediate Divorces: Why can’t they give me legal advice? First of all, a lawyer can only play one role in your divorce—as either an attorney OR a mediator. They cannot do them simultaneously. The Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit mediators from advising you on your legal rights while mediating with you and your partner. So they cannot ethically advise you, but more to the point, that’s to your advantage.
Your lawyer is just that—your lawyer. Your lawyer has a duty of loyalty to you and, in this dispute, to you alone. Your lawyer is your loyal advisor and ally.
In mediation, we are not only just your mediator, we are your partner’s mediator, too. This means we can’t have a loyalty to you over the other person. And that’s your advantage: we work with both of you and for both of you.
Like a judge, the law calls mediators to be a neutral. And like a judge managing the litigation, we manage the mediation. But unlike a judge, who is there for the state’s benefit—and to decide your case for you, we’re here for your benefit. Our job is to help you all reach the agreement that is your best solution.
Mediators can do something no lawyer can do—meet with just you and your lawyer confidentially. I’ll help you craft your communications and offers. But we can also meet with the other person and their lawyer confidentially. We keep all confidences, but you have the advantage of us having been in the other room. That’s the power of intermediation only a mediator can provide.
So your lawyer and our mediators have different jobs. Your lawyer protects and advises you on your legal rights, and we manage the mediation process. We each get to focus on what we do best, and you benefit from the efficiency of it.
The mediators who work for The Divorce Help Clinic™ have all graduated from law school and fully understand the law, the legal process and the litigation that is your alternative to working things out yourselves.
How does Divorce Mediation work if you have children? If you have minor children, a mediator will help raise a flag of truth to facilitate the creation of a co-parenting plan (a.k.a. child custody and visitation schedule) that makes the children’s welfare the top priority.
While most clients have no problem mediating in the same room together, the mediation can be done separately if needed.
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Disclaimer: Legal Information Is Not Legal Advice. The Divorce Help Clinic provides information about the law designed to help you safely cope with your own legal needs. Legal information is not the same as legal advice--the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.
