Divorce Mediation

Mediation reduces the adversarial nature of divorces and helps you focus on what is important for your future. You end your marriage peacefully. The mediator’s job is to be sure that both parties’ needs and concerns are addressed. In addition, a good mediator knows all the issues that need to be decided, and makes sure that they’re addressed so that you don’t fight later on, as often occurs with a litigated divorce.

Mediation costs are a fraction of what it would cost to litigate your divorce. For example, a case that costs you jointly in mediation, start to finish, $12,000 ($6,000 each), could easily run upwards of $120,000 ($60,000+ each). That’s money that would be better spent on college tuition, household expenses, or almost anything else.

Litigation carries on for many months and in most cases, for years. And in the meantime, neither of you can move on with your lives. Mediation solutions are usually accomplished within a matter of hours, often spread over just a few weeks. Moreover, the mediations are made at your convenience. With litigation, the court dictates your appearances and you have no choice. You have to miss work, pay for babysitters, miss important appointments.

Once signed and properly notarized, the agreement you reach through mediation is legal and binding. However, it is not made public. Information about your personal lives and finances remain private. On the other hand, with litigation, every detail could conceivably end up in the media. At the very least, everyone can hear the details of your lives in the courtroom.

Mediation enables you to determine your own future. You tailor the agreement to your and your children’s needs. There is no judge involved who is going to tell you how you or your children will live. And, significantly, you don’t just “agree” or “settle” out of sheer exhaustion, just to get it over with, as you would do with litigating attorneys. That breeds resentment and unhappiness, and these couples, not surprisingly, often find themselves back in the courtroom.

Sheryl-Anne will help with creative ideas for you and your spouse to decide how to divide property, how to divide your assets, how to handle spousal and child support and where the kids will live and how much time each of you will spend with them.

Sheryl-Anne will help you communicate and create an agreement. The result: Decisions that could affect the rest of your lives are made by you, and not handed down by a judge who doesn’t know you, your spouse, or your kids. Once the agreement you reached and you sign it, it is completely legally binding.

Mediation emphasizes what’s constructive, rather than fueling conflict, as litigation does. Mediators encourage and guide the conversation, helping each spouse hear (possibly for the first time) the needs, concerns, interests and wishes of the other. The environment is neutral, balanced, safe, and confidential. Successful mediation often leads to a better ability to give and take, and therefore, to have non-confrontational discussions in the future, which you couldn’t have before.

You’re angry and worried. You and your spouse are barely speaking. You don’t seem to agree on anything anymore, except that you want out of your marriage.

You do share several goals: Saving time and money and avoiding the wrenching emotional turmoil of a court battle for yourselves and for your kids. By using a neutral and experienced divorce mediator who will listen to both of you, ensure that you both feel heard, understand the legal concepts, and will help facilitate a workable and lasting agreement.

The higher the net worth and the more complex the situation, the larger the benefit from Divorce Mediation. Sheryl-Anne has over 20 years of experience helping couples in the most acrimonious and complex financial situations, unravel their marriage and finances. She enables them and their children to move on to a positive and calm future.

Not all divorce mediators have the knowledge and capability to handle high net worth and/or complex divorce cases. Sheryl-Anne has the educational background as well over twenty years of experience confidentially handling these types of cases and understands the advanced terminology, the complex forms of income and other concepts that frequently arise in high net worth and complex divorce cases. Sheryl-Anne will be able to understand each spouse’s position, as well as the complex emotional and financial issues that might hinder settlement.

When both you and your spouse have agreed to the terms of the settlement, you are both far more likely to stick to it, than if the terms were dictated by an outsider (e.g., a judge), or after you’ve settled due to exhaustion or exasperation with the litigation process.

The greater the emotional conflict and the greater the benefit from the divorce mediation process. Privacy is paramount in divorce mediation and the emotional and cost savings are massive. Sheryl-Anne has the educational background as well over twenty years of experience confidentially handling very complex cases and will be able to understand each spouse’s position, as well as the complex emotional and financial issues that might hinder settlement.

Some people feel more comfortable having an attorney to consult with between mediation sessions or even during. Either way, you both can have your own attorneys review the settlement before you sign it, to be sure that your legal rights are being protected.

Sheryl-Anne often retains a neutral divorce financial planner to assist with dividing your finances and to help you both figure out how to manage your future expenses.

Divorce coaches and psychologists are always a welcome addition, if the couple chooses.