FAQs about Family Mediation

1. If I go to mediation, will that mean the end of the lawsuit?
   Yes, if you and the other side come to an agreement that covers all the bases.  Then you or your lawyer can submit your agreement to the judge for approval, and the lawsuit will be over.

2. I want to go to mediation but my spouse/partner wants to use lawyers–what should I do?
   Mediation can take place even before filing a lawsuit.  It works best if the parties have a brief consultation with an attorney before mediation. They then have the option of filing jointly on their own after the mediator has helped them resolve any conflicts they have.

3. I have already tried mediation once but I didn’t like that the mediator told us what to do.  The lawsuit is still not over – can I mediate again?
   A mediator’s job is to help both sides come to a durable, fully-informed agreement, not to tell them what to do.  You can always mediate a second time if the other side agrees to it.

4. Who pays for mediation and what does it cost?
   Most of the time, both sides share the costs equally. My fees range from $60 to $125 per hour per person, depending on the person’s income and dependents.

5. How long does mediation take?
   A mediation session can last a half to a full day.  Occasionally, a follow-up session is needed once the parties have obtained necessary information.

6. My spouse/partner is very angry about my decision to leave the relationship–can we still mediate?
   Yes – an experienced mediator knows how to work with strong emotions while still supporting the process of separating in a positive manner.

7. Can we still use mediation if we were never married but want to separate and divide our property and time with our children?
   Yes – mediation is helpful for both married and unmarried parents who want to work together to support their children during divorce or separation.

8. Does mediation work when one parent wants to move away with the children and the other one wants to keep the children where they are?
   Yes – mediation is often far superior to litigation for moving parents and children.  Mediation stabilizes the family, focuses parents on the children’s interests, and relieves their anxiety about long-distance parenting.

9. My child wants to tell the mediator what she wants for her parenting plan–can she do that?
   Yes, depending on the age of the child, a mediator can listen to the child to help him or her understand the child’s concerns.

10. I am feeling very vulnerable and nervous about the divorce–will the mediator protect me from being taken advantage of?
    Yes – a mediator makes sure both parties are fully informed by reviewing with both parties the financial disclosures.  She then helps each party clarify their interests and evaluate options so they can make their own decision, of their own free will.  A mediator will never force a party into an agreement.

11. My divorce case has a mediation deadline that ends in two days—can we still do a mediation?
    Yes – a mediation deadline can be suspended to allow mediation to take place.

FAQs about Workplace Mediation and Facilitation

1. How do I know what type of service I need:  training, mediation or facilitation?
   Before training, mediation, or facilitation takes place, I will conduct a needs assessment. I may also administer a pre-program questionnaire to obtain standardized information from all stakeholders.

2. How are costs determined?
   Mediation fees are generally charged by the hour. Workplace facilitation projects are custom-designed so costs vary. Fees can be calculated on an hourly or per project basis and may include costs for designing the facilitation, actually conducting the facilitation and drafting a post-facilitation report.

3. What is a facilitation?
   Facilitation is skilled management of a group meeting by a professional moderator.  The facilitator sets ground rules and provides meeting structure and process.  The facilitator ensures that all stakeholders feel heard and that all final agreements are complete and durable.

4. What type of businesses use this service?
   Former clients include profit, non-profit, educational organizations, private and government businesses.

5. Should mediation be used before deciding to fire an employee?
   Mediation can be integrated into human resource management as a pre-termination process, but is better used as a process for retaining employees.

I welcome your questions.  To get more answers, please contact me in the Contact Me section.