Florida Divorce Mediation Lawyer
Not every divorce is a long battle that winds up in a vicious trial. There are alternative means of resolving the issues in a divorce. Divorce mediation can be an efficient, effective, and economical way to reach an agreeable divorce settlement, and you can start the mediation process before you even file for divorce. Just because mediation is meant to be less contentious does not, however, mean that you should enter mediation without a proper legal advocate on your side. It is still important to have an experienced legal representative in your corner, protecting your rights and working toward a favorable resolution.
At the Law Office of Scott Glassman, P.A., you can be certain that your divorce mediation will be handled by a seasoned legal advocate. Each of our Florida divorce mediation attorneys has extensive legal experience, and we are ready to leverage our experience in making sure you get the best out of your divorce mediation. The Law Office of Scott Glassman, P.A. is here to fight for you.
What is Divorce Mediation?
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution, a term that refers to a means of resolving legal disputes outside of the Courtroom. In mediation, the parties to a legal dispute to try to work together toward a resolution of the matter that is acceptable to everyone, without having the Court make a decision. Rather than fighting for a “winner” and a “loser” on various issues, mediation is set up to help the parties reach an agreement they can both live with, protecting the rights, property, and interests that they value while making acceptable concessions along the way.
The mediation process is much less formal than a Court proceeding. The parties agree to hire a third-party mediator to act as a neutral voice to help facilitate discussion and reach an ultimate agreement. The parties then engage in one or more mediation sessions, with legal representation if they so choose, and share whatever documents or evidence is necessary to facilitate discussion (such as financial disclosures). The mediator will not “decide” issues like a judge; instead, the mediator will help the parties isolate points of contention, find common ground, and reach agreement on as much of the divorce as possible.
Parties can voluntarily start mediation before even filing for divorce. If they can successfully resolve all of their issues, they can draft a complete settlement agreement and file for an uncontested divorce. The Court would then simply review the settlement and sign off if it is acceptable. If the divorce has already been filed, the parties can still choose to enter mediation to try to resolve some or all issues in the case. In many cases, Florida judges require the parties to at least attempt mediation before litigating certain disputes in the Courtroom.
The purpose of divorce mediation is to work toward an agreement resolving some, if not all, of the issues in the divorce. Mediation can cover all aspects of the divorce, including property division, child custody, child support, and alimony. In the ideal situation, the parties will reach an acceptable resolution of all divorce matters through mediation. At that point, the parties need only go through some administrative and legal formalities to file for divorce, submit the parties’ agreement reached through mediation, attend a final hearing, and obtain the Court’s approval and final Order.
Certified Divorce Mediators Ready to Help You Resolve Your Divorce Efficiently & Effectively
The mediation attorneys at the Law Office of Scott Glassman, P.A. are not only seasoned litigators with more than six decades of combined legal experience; our team is also composed of experienced, certified mediators. Family law attorneys Scott Glassman and Ron Bornstein have served on all sides of the table in mediations and have both acted as certified mediators in the State of Florida. They know the process, they know how mediators and divorce attorneys think, and they know how to get the job done quickly, thoroughly, and in a way that protects your valued interests, assets, and rights.
What is Collaborative Divorce?
Collaborative divorce is a voluntary form of alternative dispute resolution, much like mediation. The parties agree to meet with one another, along with each party’s legal representatives, in order to resolve some or all of the issues pertinent to divorce outside of the Courtroom. Ideally, the parties will reach an ultimate agreement that fully resolves the divorce, including property division, child custody, child support, and spousal support. The parties would then file for divorce, submitting their agreement to the Court for approval.
The process starts with an initial meeting at which the parties will draft and sign a collaborative divorce participation agreement. The agreement will cover which issues the process is meant to resolve, the documents, evidence, and experts the parties should produce, and establish the good faith nature of each party’s participation. The agreement will also stipulate that the parties will not go to Court to litigate any issues meant to be resolved by the collaborative divorce process.
If the collaborative divorce works, the parties can submit their final agreement to a Court for approval in an uncontested divorce proceeding. If the process fails, typically the parties would need to find new legal representation for the actual litigation; part of the collaborative divorce process is the understanding that any evidence or other legal advantages gleaned during the process will not be used during subsequent litigation.
There are many advantages and drawbacks to collaborative divorce. When it works, it can help resolve a divorce much more efficiently and cost-effectively than traditional divorce litigation, and it tends to be much less adversarial and emotionally charged. Talk to a knowledgeable collaborative divorce attorney about whether collaborative divorce makes sense for you and your family.
Effective and Efficient Results in Your Florida Divorce Mediation
Mediation can be a cheaper and more streamlined means of resolving your Florida divorce, but you still need the right legal representation in your corner. The skilled Florida divorce mediation attorneys at the Law Office of Scott Glassman, P.A. have more than 60 years of combined experience helping Florida family law clients get the results they deserve. For help with a divorce mediation or other family law matter throughout Florida, call the Law Office of Scott Glassman, P.A. at 561-688-5006 today!
