The goal of our mediation team is to help you negotiate and resolve issues such as custody, visitation, property division and support. Once both sides have agreed to use divorce mediation as an alternative to hiring separate family law attorneys, Bohm Wildish & Matsen will schedule an initial meeting session. If you so choose, you will see that mediation in California has the ability to be more cost-effective and less time-consuming.
Please read on for an in-depth look at the basic outline of the mediation process.
The goal of our mediation team is to help you negotiate and resolve issues such as custody, visitation, property division and support.
Initial Appointment
- An initial appointment is held during which both spouses attend and the general goals of the parties are discussed.
- A written agreement between the parties themselves, as well as the mediator, is reviewed and signed.
- The mediator will assign certain tasks at this initial meeting, such as bringing in certain documentation for the next meeting.
Subsequent Appointments
- A series of subsequent appointments are then conducted. Most will consist of a conjoint session (both spouses and the mediator) but sometimes the mediator may have individual meetings (one spouse and the mediator).
- The number of appointments will depend on the number of issues the spouses need to negotiate and the degree to which they are willing to compromise.
- The frequency of appointments is scheduled according to how much time spouses need to complete “homework assignments” and/or to “think” between sessions.
Agreement
- At each session, the mediator makes detailed notes of agreements as they are reached.
- When all issues are resolved as a result of the mediation sessions, the mediator will draft a settlement agreement, which is a document summarizing the agreements that have been made.
- The mediator will recommend that the spouses take the agreement to a “consulting attorney” to look over the final document before signing.
- Once signed, the mediator sends the document to the court for approval, and the matter is concluded.
If you and your spouse believe that mediation is the right path for your dissolution, allow the experienced and caring attorneys from Bohm Wildish & Matsen handle all of your concerns.