How long does divorce mediation take and what are the costs?
How long it takes to complete divorce mediation depends on any previous agreements you and your spouse have reached, you and your spouse’s willingness to come to agreements that are equitable for the both of you and what is in the best interests of your children.
The cost of divorce mediation is typically significantly less than litigation. It is cost effective and an expedient way to reduce the stress involved in going through a divorce.
Also, divorce in the court system is public domain and anyone can sit in court and hear the specifics of your divorce, however, mediation is confidential, private and conducted behind closed doors.
Is Mediation Right For You?
Divorce mediation is about you and your soon to be ex-spouse having the ability to make decisions over child custody and visitation, division of assets and debts and support without a judge making decisions for you which makes you and your spouse feel powerless. You and your spouse have the ability to determine what is best for the both of you and most importantly, your children. In mediation, we discuss the issues in your divorce, including but not limited to distribution of property (assets/liabilities), child custody and parenting time, child support and spousal support and retirement.
In mediation, I help clients reach agreements on the above issues that give them the most control over the outcome. Divorce is life-altering and can be devastating, and reaching decisions in mediation gives you the most peace of mind in the process because you and your spouse are making the decisions, not a judge, regarding what is best for your children and yourselves. Sometimes agreements come easy and other times they take time and a lot of effort by both parties.
Mediation is flexible, confidential and cost effective. My retainer fee for most divorce mediation cases is only $2,500, not including filing fees. It allows you and your spouse a way to settle the conflict between you in a way that facilitates working together as parents. This is extremely important if you have children and must interact with your ex-spouse.
My role as a divorce mediator is to assist you in formulating ideas that can eventually lead to agreements. This involves communicating openly, which can be extremely difficult without the assistance of a neutral third person. I focus on interest-based mediation, taking into account a particular outcome such as keeping the family home, that is important to each party. I can help you reach nontraditional settlement agreements that benefit both you and your spouse instead of following the traditional settlement seen in court which can result in dividing and selling assets “right down the middle.”
The Law Offices of Renèe Peña Inc. serve the following areas in California: Placer County, Sacramento County, El Dorado County, Nevada County, Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Loomis, Lincoln, Auburn, Citrus Heights, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Galt, Grass Valley, Orangevale, Placerville, Rancho Cordova, Rio Linda, Woodland.