Largo Mediation Attorney
About 95 percent of divorce and other family law cases in Florida settle out of court. These resolutions are usually best for everyone. No one really benefits from an emotional courtroom showdown, at least in most cases. Frequently, informal and unsupervised negotiations between the parties bear fruit. If these negotiations stall or break down, professional intervention and court supervision is usually necessary to jumpstart them. Because of these additional elements, mediation is about 90 percent successful in Pinellas County.
The compassionate Largo mediation attorneys at The Reep Law Firm understand that there are usually two sides to the story in the divorces we mediate. So, we’re able to bring the two sides together, even if they seem far apart. Additionally, we make accommodations as necessary. These accommodations include Zoom or other virtual mediations when necessary. Next to resolving the case, nothing’s more important to us than the safety and comfort of the parties.
The Three Cs of Mediation
Most mediation sessions last a full day. Other than the opening statements, the parties usually aren’t in the same room. This environment reduces the tension in tense situations. However, the primary reason that mediation is so successful is the three Cs of mediation:
- Cost: In a divorce case, time is money. According to the Department of Justice, civil mediation saves civil litigants about $20 million a year in legal fees. Mediation ends cases sooner. It’s also much less time consuming to prepare for a one-day mediation than a one-week trial.
- Control: After a trial, a judge or jury, who knows practically nothing about the family and its needs, basically dictates the outcome. Mediation, on the other hand, gives the litigants almost complete control over the outcome. This control usually reduces the number of future motions to enforce and modify, which eliminates future litigation costs.
- Civility: In ye olden days, children “lived” with one parent and “visited” the other one. So, even if they had children, spouses basically went their separate ways following divorce. Today, co-parenting is the rule. Both parents are expected to play active roles. Mediation preserves the civility that an emotional courtroom showdown usually takes away.
Additionally, there’s no risk in mediation. If a Largo mediation attorney fails to produce an agreed settlement, the litigation process simply continues.
Collaborative Law
Mediation supplements the litigation process. An emerging form of divorce law, collaborative law, is a true litigation alternative. The parties never see the inside of a courtroom or file legal documents, except a collaborative law statement.
Generally, the parties and their attorneys meet once a month to discuss specific emotional or financial issues, such as parenting time division and property division. If an outside expert is needed, like a therapist or real estate appraiser, the parties divide the cost. Most collaborative law divorces are wrapped up after about six meetings.
Once again, there’s no risk. If the collaborative law process fails, the parties simply hire new attorneys and go through the litigation process.
Reach Out to a Thorough Pinellas County Attorney
Family law matters usually involve financial and emotional issues. For a free consultation with an experienced mediation attorney in Largo, contact Reep, Coleman & Stubbendorff. We routinely handle matters in Hillsborough County and nearby jurisdictions.
