Landon KellyContact the Divorce Mediation Clinic in the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law for affordable divorce mediation. The clinic provides free divorce mediation to qualified couples living in New York State. If you and your partner are eligible, you can receive up to four, ninety-minute sessions with experienced program mediators (or more, if you have kids). These sessions help you find an amicable resolution to your problems without the stress of a court battle. Your lawyer can provide information about the programs the clinic provides, or refer you to one of their members. In either case, it is free to participate.
Some states call their divorce mediation “amicus” rather than “adviser.” Either way, both parties must agree to the terms of the program before they will proceed. You will be assigned an individual to represent you in the course of the proceedings. You have the right to choose whether to represent yourself at the start of the litigation or hire a legal representative to assist you throughout the litigation and settlement.
Many attorneys locate divorce mediation on Long Island and offer this service. Most Long Island lawyers locate the program, as well, and will generally be able to give you a free initial consultation. At your initial consultation, your legal counselor will meet with you to discuss your particular circumstances. If possible, your attorney will also meet with your spouse, so that he/she can assess the extent of your involvement in the litigation and suggest the best course of action.
Mediation is intended to resolve disputes amicably. The goal is to reach an agreement, based on the written terms of your agreement, on how each party (you, your spouse, or your former spouse) would like the matter to be settled. In this setting, the attorneys for both sides meet with the mediator on a regular basis, working together to resolve the terms of your divorce. Each person will pay his/her own hourly rate, which is set by the court. Both attorneys and the mediator will work together to iron out any issues that may arise in the course of the litigation.
There are a number of advantages to collaborative divorce options, including the ability to achieve an amicable outcome that satisfies both parties. As stated previously, the goal of mediation is to arrive at an agreement, though this goal does not always involve an agreement regarding the terms of the divorce. Mediation often involves the parties being engaged in very productive conversation about the important issues. The attorneys involved may even come up with some new ideas to enhance the productivity of the mediation process!
Because of the significant value of the joint divorce settlement documents, it is vitally important that you get these documents signed as soon as possible after the date of your scheduled mediation meeting. This is because, once signed, these divorce settlement documents become part of the public record. Unless you are volunteering to have your divorce paperwork filed, you are legally obligated to produce these documents to the court within a reasonable period of time after your scheduled mediation appointment. If you fail to do so, you can risk losing a lot of your leverage in the divorce proceedings.
Before your divorce mediation sessions are held, you will want to make sure that you fully understand the role that your attorneys and the court will play during this process. Be sure to find out if the attorneys will be making phone calls, giving you legal advice, and spending time with you to help you formulate your case. You may also be required to provide additional information or answers to questions that were asked by the attorneys during the initial meeting. The court may even decide to allow your attorneys to meet with your children. All of these meetings are meant to assist you in formulating an effective plan for how you wish to proceed with your divorce.
Divorce Mediation is a helpful way to try to resolve any number of issues, including the division of assets, alimony, child custody and visitation. It can also help you to address some of the thorny issues that surround the divorce such as what to do about outstanding debts and how to move forward financially following a divorce. Divorce Mediation is typically safe, comfortable, and helpful and provides you with the opportunity to save time and money. Divorce Mediation can be helpful, but it is not the only way to resolve your issues.