Mediation in Mission Viejo, California
Dissolution of Marriage Through Mediation
Mediation is essentially assisted negotiation and is centered on the concept
of informed consent. If you are facing
divorce and you wish for peaceful negotiation of the various issues that will
arise then this may be the best option for you.
There are several primary benefits to mediation:
- Mediation is voluntary, so you may leave at any time for any reason. You
have no legal obligation to continue this negotiation.
- It is generally confidential to the point that the parties involved wish
for discretion. The documents and discussion are generally unavailable
to any subsequent court or other proceeding. Only document that is certainly
not confidential is the finalized and signed mediation agreement.
- Each party member has full and complete freedom to make decisions, veto
any provision that is made for mediated agreement and other freedoms.
A benefit to mediation is that nothing can be imposed on you.
There are other benefits to mediation such as that through this process
you will be encouraged to retain expert advice and legal counsel so that
you may be well informed of all of the proceedings and how they will affect
you. You have complete freedom to make the decisions you wish to.
What is the divorce mediation process in California?
Once you decide that mediation is the best option for you and your spouse,
then our legal team can assist you through the process. First, we will
have an initial consultation with your spouse and his or her lawyer to
establish some basic rules, as well as the issues that are important for
each spouse. These concerns usually involve assets, debts, and child support
as well as any alimony.
After the initial consultation, both spouses and their legal representation
will have some tasks to complete, such as gathering certain documentation.
Outside professionals like therapists and financial planners can sometimes
be helpful in this stage of the process. The parties will again meet for
one or more subsequent appointments to negotiate the agreement.
Your lawyer will assist in making sure that the other party does not take
advantage of you and that all your goals are being met in the process.
When both groups have come to an agreement, then a written statement will
be prepared and signed by each spouse. The document will then be sent
to the court for approval.
Orange County Divorce Lawyer Assisting You
Throughout this process of mediation, the idea is to peacefully negotiate
and agree on terms for divorce, property division,
custody rights, support and many other issues. If these topics cannot be discussed and
decided upon in mediation then the divorce case may go to trial. In the
case of trial there may be substantial hostility and you may find that
you receive a highly undesirable outcome to some issues. Mediation will
allow for compromise in some areas in order to obtain the best possible
outcomes for all of those who are involved. You need an attorney for mediation
cases to ensure the optimal chance of success, and our firm can help.
Contact our office today to learn more and fill out our
case evaluation!