An Emotional Time
The end of a marriage is a life changing event which can take a lot of different directions. Sometimes couples and partners can work out a Dissolution of Marriage amicably and swiftly. In other cases, the two parties are so inured or angry that a full court trial is unavoidable. Somewhere in the middle is the option of Divorce Mediation, which can be Voluntary Mediation or Court Ordered Mediation. Mediation is often feared and misunderstood by clients, so let’s take a closer look so you better understand what mediation is and how the Hittelman Family Law Group can represent you best.
Decisions
Often couples have come to an understanding that their marriage is over but have some disagreements on how to resolve their relationship. HFLG has a depth of experience in helping husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, or partners come to an understanding between them of how to unwind, or adjust, their relationships with each other. Our legal team actually incudes certified mediators, so we not only know how to represent our clients with mediators, but many of our attorneys are experienced as a legal mediator.
Disagreement – From Financial to Custodial
Disagreements can arise over virtually any issue from the marriage, from financial matters, business interests, child custody concerns to support questions. Very often these issues are intertwined or overlap, and sometimes people don’t actually know how to separate the issues so they can be resolved. This is where experience matters, and why the attorneys at HFLG are so effective. Over decades Steve Hittelman and his legal team have represented husbands, wives and partners struggling to understand not just what they wanted, but what they really needed to get the closure and relief to move their lives forward from a divorce. HFLG accomplishes this by taking the time to really sit down and listen to our clients, to probe and ask questions, even the tough ones, to discover how best to guide our clients through the divorce process. This is important for prepping for mediation too.
Dispute Resolution
The technical Oxford Mediation Definition is simple; “intervention in a dispute in order to resolve it.” That’s all a mediator does in a mediation, the mediator is an independent unbiased third-party professional who is trained to observe and evaluate the case presented for their consideration. Based on the factual information presented by the opposing parties the mediator develops an opinion on how the case before them can be reconciled. The opinion is supposed to consider the unique circumstances of the specific case before them, but also includes consideration of past cases and legal precedents. The strength of the case presented by each party is also weighed by factors that may range from documentation to expert supporting reports to the actions and history of the opposing parties.
Mediation is more Efficient than Trial Court
You can see why its so important for the HFLG team to really get into the nitty gritty of our client’s situation, to really understand not just where they have been but where our clients want to be. At the end of the day our clients have a partner ever step of the way. It’s the job of entire HFLG team to develop the best and most presentable case for mediation, as well as to establish the most realistic expectations. Mediation does not have to be binding, but it can be more efficient than trial court. The process of mediation is very similar and often dovetails how a court will perceive a case, therefore mediation serves a great value for clients who cannot come to agreement on their own and are unsure of how a court might view and rule on their matter.
The results of a Mediation Hearing very often are the best indicator of how a court will rule on a case which is why no party should enter into mediation without experienced qualified representation. Please consider the HFLG legal team for your mediation representation.