Los Angeles Divorce Mediation

It's been said that, everything considered, the worst mediated outcome is usually better than the best litigated outcome. At the Law Collaborative our highly trained mediators strive to help parties reach a superior outcome. All of our family law attorneys are skilled mediators who encourage parties to seek creative solutions to their disputes. We empower our clients to take control of how their divorce will be handled. We can help you reach agreements, heal relationships, and find solutions that work. In mediation, you speak for yourself and make your own decisions from a conscious, informed mindset.

Mediation can be a Win-Win proposition if those involved are honestly committed to the process. Ideally, the mediation process will spare the divorcing couple angst, alienation, and money. In a mediated divorce, couples work with a trained neutral mediator to help them negotiate their settlement. In California most mediators are lawyers or mental health professionals, but as California has few state requirements or guidelines for becoming a mediator, it is important that you choose a mediator with experience and training like those provided by The Law Collaborative, Los Angeles.

The best mediators will provide information and present options, alternatives, and different scenarios for problem solving. While courtroom proceedings are open to the public, mediation is a confidential process that will help protect your privacy. Discussions and disclosures in mediation may also be protected from disclosure in future litigation if the mediation is ultimately unsuccessful.

When an agreement is reached during mediation, the mediator may help you memorialize the agreement in an executed Memorandum of Understanding. Once you have a signed Memorandum of Understanding, you can have it reviewed by an attorney, and if you wish, you can have it entered with the Superior Court. If the mediator you hire is also a lawyer, you may skip this step and simply have him or her draft the final agreement as a cost saving measure.

One possible draw back to mediation is that the parties lack an advocate on their side. It is important to understand that a mediator is not an advocate and cannot give legal advice. A mediator can't take sides - a mediator must remain neutral. Mediators cannot make decisions for you and should not recommend that you agree to anything. It is always recommended that parties to mediation seek independent legal advice from an independent lawyer. You should be completely sure you understand the terms of your agreement.

The Law Collaborative can help you design a settlement agreement that will realistically fulfill the basic needs of all of the parties to the mediation. Our Los Angeles family law attorneys are trained mediators with over one hundred years of combined experience. In addition to mediated divorce services, our attorneys are available to mediate civil cases, commercial cases, and personal injury cases. Our lawyers can assist you in the preparation and submission to court of all documents necessary to conclude your case. In addition, we are available to analyze any agreement that has been drawn up for you by a mediator or lawyer outside of our office.

To schedule an appointment for Los Angeles divorce mediation with one of our experienced attorney mediators, or if you have a Memorandum of Understanding or other agreement you'd like us to review, call us at (888) 852-9961.