Mediation and Collaborative Law

Mediation is a non-traditional option for divorcing couples that helps them work amicably and cost-effectively to resolve conflicts that necessarily arise as a result of separation or divorce. We encourage you to avoid the court process not only because it is smart financially, but because it helps people preserve their relationship for the benefit of their children.

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Mediation is a cooperative and comprehensive alternative to divorce litigation. Both spouses meet with a neutral mediator with the goal of resolving all issues between them so that they can avoid the expensive and time consuming court process. When an agreement is reached, the mediator drafts a Memorandum of Understanding. Each spouse should consult with an attorney before beginning the mediation process so that they are advised of their rights and obligations and an attorney is necessary to file all legal documents with the court to finalize the case. 

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Attorney Paulisick is a trained and experienced mediator.

Collaborative Law is another alternative to the costly and emotionally difficult process of divorce and family law litigation. The spouses can choose to proceed collaboratively. In this process, each party retains their own specially trained collaborative lawyer to help them negotiate a resolution of all issues in an open, cooperative manner through "four-way" settlement meetings that both clients and lawyers attend. The parties and lawyers agree that neither spouse can go to court or threaten to go to court and that their mutual goal is settlement. 

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In the event that either party changes his or her mind and proceeds to court, the lawyers are contractually precluded from continuing their representation and both they and their firms are disqualified. 

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By proceeding through this process, both spouses commit to insulate the children from the disputes, when necessary, may engage the services of child specialists to help them make decisions in the best interests of the children. Either spouse may also jointly retain the services of accountants, mental health professionals, and appraisers to cooperatively help the spouses answer difficult financial and emotional questions.