What is Divorce Mediation? Divorcemediationisacooperativeprocess.Onceyoustart, a neutral third party will help you in your separation with your partner. A mediator can assist those who have simple matterstomorecomplexcases.
Should I Mediate? Considerthefollowingtodecideifyoushouldmediate? 1BothmyspouseandIarewillingtoattend. . 2Wewanttokeepourmatterprivate. . Wewanttostayincontrolofourdivorce(andnotgive thatpowertoajudge). 3. Wearewillingtocommunicateornegotiatewithone another. 4. 5Wewanttosavetime,moneyandourresources. .
Child Support & Alimony When you are addressing financial support in divorce mediation, you need to make a plan around child support and alimony (spousal support).
Hereisachecklisttoguideyourdiscussions:
1Incomedocumentationfrombothparties. .
2CalculationofchildsupportbasedonCaliforniaguidelines
3Howlongthesupportpaymentswillremainineffect. .
4Thepaymentscheduleandmethod
5Healthinsurancecoverageforchildren. .
6Sharingofuninsuredmedicalexpenses. .
7Childcarecostsdivision. .
8Educationalexpensesforchildren. .
9Taximplicationsofsupportpayments. . Conditionsformodifyingsupport.10. Be Careful
Power imbalances, domestic violence, or other extreme situations can impact mediation. In some cases, more traditional routes would be more appropriate.
Parenting Divorce mediation can be a bit more complex for parents who are alsoseekingcustodymediation.HavealookatourblogDo’s&Don’ts ofCustodyMediationtogetanideaofthebasics.
1Custodyarrangement .
2ParentingSchedule: . RegularSchedule
Summer Vacation
HolidaySchedule
3Child'seducation:Whatdoesyourschoolchoicelooklike? .
4Extracurricularactivities: .
5Co-ParentingAgreements . Introductiontoromanticinterests
Accesstofirearmsinthehome
Internationaltravel
TraveloutsidethestateofCalifornia
Makeuptime(especiallyifyoutravelforwork)
Accesstochildduringnon-custodialtimesuchasreasonable videoandphonecalls
Tolearnmoreaboutifmediationistherightpathfor you,readourarticleWhenDivorceMediationisNot Recommended
Finances & Divorce Mediation Assets Income currentlyinvolvedinandthebenefit informationforthose.
Finances & Divorce Mediation Other Financial Statements Bankstatementsforallaccountsthatyoucurrentlyhaveopenorhaveopened duringthemarriage 1.
2Currentbudgetandprojectedpost-divorceexpenses. . Ifyouhavethem,anyprenuptialorpostnuptialagreementsthathavebeen signed. 3.
Marital Documents & Mediation 1Findyourmarriagecertificateandbringitwithyoutomediation. .
2Separationagreementifyouandyourex-spousehavealreadydraftedone
3Willsandtrustsifyouhavealreadywrittenyourwill. . Yourpowerofattorneydocumentsintheeventsomethinghappenedduring thedivorce 4.
5Familybusinessagreementsorcontracts. .
6Domesticpartnershipagreements(ifyouhaveone). .
What To Discuss In Divorce Mediation? Besides things that you should bring to your divorce mediation sessions, here is what you can write down in your divorce mediation checklistonthingsyouwillwanttodiscuss:
Generaltopicsthatyouthinkmustbediscussedbetweenyouandyoursoontobe ex-spouse 1. 2Apostnuptialagreementifyougotoneafteryoutwoweremarried. . Discussthetermsofyourprenup(ifapplicable)andwhatyoualreadyowned beforemarriage 3. 4Assetsandliabilityrelatedinformation. . 5Childcustodyandparentingplansthatarerelatedtoyourdivorce. .
6Propertydivisionandfinances. . 7Alimony. .
8FinalAgreement–willitbedraftedforyouasaMaritalSettlementAgreement? Insuranceinformationregardingyourlife,car,orhealthplans.(Whichassaid earlier,iswhyyoushouldbringthatinformationwithyou). 9. Taxreturnstatements.10. Stocks&bondsthatyouoryourex-spousehaveinvestedintoafteryouwere married 11. Areasofagreementthatyouandyourex-partnerhavealreadysettledoutsideof mediation. 12.
What To Bring In Divorce Mediation? Before you get to your divorce mediation session in California, there areafewthingsyouneedtoprepare: Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutwhatelseyoushouldbring,youcan contact your divorce mediator, and they can give you a more comprehensivelistbasedaroundyoursituation.
FinancialDocuments:Taxreturns,paystubs,bankstatements,creditcard statements,mortgagedocuments,loanagreements,investmentandretirement accountstatements,listofassetsanddebts
PropertyInformation:Housedeeds,vehicletitles,andappraisalsforanyvaluable itemsyouboughtduringthemarriage.
InsurancePolicies:Makesuretobringanyhealth,life,auto,andhomeinsurance details.Ifyoudon’thavethem,reachouttoyourinsurancecompaniesandthey canuploadyouadigitalcopy
EmploymentDetails:Thisisanimportantone,youwillwanttobringwork contractsyouareapartofandbenefitsinformation(especiallyifyouare discussingspousalorchildsupport)
Children’sInformation:Youwillwanttoprovidetheaccountsyouhaveforyour children,including529accounts.
Finding The Best Divorce Mediator In CA To make sure that your divorce mediation process goes well, you should do your research. That way you can find the best mediator for yoursituation.
1. Chooseadivorcemediatorthatwillworkwithyourschedule Doyouneeda remoteservice?Doyouwantitinperson?.
3.
Learnaboutthemediator’squalificationsandexperience:Youcanevaluateifyour mediatorisqualifiedtotakeonyourdivorcecase.
2 Makeashortlistofmediatorsaftersomeinvestigation:Thiswayyoucannarrow downwhoyouandyourex-partnerfeelcomfortablesittingdownwithfor mediation.
4
Scheduleaninitialconsultationwitheachmediatoronyourshortlist:Talktothem more,findoutiftheyaretherightfitforyou.
5Finalizeyourselectionandhirethebestmediatorthatyoufindfit. .
Questions To Ask Mediator In A Free Consult Best Divorce Mediation Service In California ThebestdivorcemediationservicethatyoucanfindinCaliforniawould beFamiliesFirstMediation.AtFamiliesFirstMediation,thenameisselfexplanatory.Theyputyouandyourfamiliesfirst.
Their head mediator, Dina Haddad, can talk with you and schedule a freeconsultation.
Do not wait, if you want to finalize your divorce as quickly as possible, get your documents together for when you set up your first session at FamiliesFirstMediation.
The End Thank you for giving this article a read. Wish you best of luck for your mediationsession.
