Los Angeles Divorce Mediation

Is Mediation Required for Divorce in California?

Mediation is required in a California divorce when there is a dispute over child custody. To avoid a complicated legal battle, the state mandates that a couple goes through mediation with a trained and court-appointed mediator before the court can make a judgement. Once the divorcing couple can come to a point of agreement and compromise, then the court will make a final determination.

What Can I Expect at a Divorce Mediation?

When a divorcing couple goes through divorce mediation, they utilize the services of a 3^rd party mediator to help them come to an agreement on contested issues. You should not expect the mediator to make a final judgement on any matter. Rather, the mediator helps facilitate compromise and agreement between the couple.

What Are the Benefits of Mediation?

Divorces and child custody disputes center on some of the most personal, intimate subjects in our lives. It is thereby understandable why these fights can drag out for months, even years, in the California family court system, costing each side thousands of dollars in court costs and attorneys’ fees.

A drawn-out courtroom battle can leave both sides feeling dissatisfied with the result, even more scarred by the legal process of ending the marriage than the breakup itself. Trials can also have a traumatizing effect on the children on the sidelines observing their parents as they wage war on each other.

Mediation Provides an Alternative to Court

There is an alternative to the expensive and time-consuming process of carrying out a child custody dispute or divorce in court. Family mediation services offer a lower-conflict method of resolving your family law-related disputes, saving yourself and your children from the draining process of going to court.

At the offices of Lavinsky Law, our attorney is trained in mediating conflicts between parents and spouses in a way that allows both sides to feel heard and respected. We make every effort to ensure that families find satisfying, workable solutions to their disputes. Reach out to our offices today for a free consultation on whether mediation is the right choice for your family.

What Choose Mediation?

There are many reasons why a growing number of families choose to try and mediate their disputes before resorting to court.

These reasons often include:

• Flexibility: Family courts are required to resolve conflicts according to state statutes and law created by prior cases. Mediators aren’t bound by these same restrictions and can take the time to find more personal, customized solutions that suit the needs of your unique family.
• Privacy: Courtroom battles are public, with most decisions becoming part of the public record. Mediation is a private process, offering parties the option of keeping the dispute entirely confidential.
• Customizable format: Mediation can take on whatever format suits you best. If you know that you’re unable to be in the same room as your spouse without getting into a shouting match, you and your spouse can remain in separate rooms, with the mediator acting as a go-between.
• Speed: Mediation can often resolve in a matter of days what would take months to achieve in court. This offers significant cost savings from traditional courtroom conflicts.