Domestic Partnership Mediation & Dissolution Services Divorce E
At The Divorce Help Clinic™ we will help you resolve your same-sex couple cohabitation, domestic partnership, divorce or custody issues in a sane, sensible and fair way at a reasonable cost.
We offer 4 primary services to help you reach your relationship goal with dignity and discretion to help you:
LGBT Mediation Services
- Domestic Partnership Dissolution
- Marital Dissolution Mediation
- Child Custody Mediation
- Separation Mediation
What is Dissolution Mediation?
Dissolution Mediation is an alternative to litigation (where attorneys fight one another for what their clients want.) Mediation, on the other hand, is an informal meeting with a neutral mediator and the couple working together cooperatively, calmly and fairly with sensitive same sex relationship situations.
How the Process Works: A mediator will guide you and your partner through a series of step-by-step, confidential sessions to resolve issues that might block agreement. This process applies to both marital dissolution as well as domestic partnerships. The process is quick and efficient.
In mediation, the private issues discussed in session as well as your personal and business finances are kept out of public records. When using attorneys to obtain a dissolution, nothing is private. Any person can access your information at any time.
If you have minor children, a mediator will help you create a co-parenting plan (a.k.a. child custody and visitation schedule) that makes the children’s welfare the top priority.
Role of Attorney in Mediation: While you do not need to retain an attorney, if you choose to mediate your dissolution, it is HIGHLY recommended that you hire an attorney on a consulting basis to review the decisions you and your partner have made in mediation. At the very least, once the Memorandum of Agreement is completed (before you sign it), it is best to have an outside attorney review the Agreement from your own personal perspective and give you feedback as to the agreements made. NOTE: We work closely with attorneys who specialize in domestic partnership and marital dissolutions.
Privacy: What You Don't Know will Shock You!
Many people don't realize that at the end of a dissolution (one using attorneys), everything that came out in the dissolution becomes public record--financial statements, debts, accusations of cheating, molestation, addictions. Making matters worse, nothing is private. Anyone can read the sordid details. This is not the case when couples use mediation to terminate their relationships, as you will read shortly.
While the lack of privacy may not seem like an issue now, down the road it could be. For example, anyone who has romantic interest in you will be able to go down to the Court and request your records.
if there are issues with co-parenting and baseless calls are made to child protective services, your divorce file is surely to be a document that will be reviewed by CPS! Or your future mate may be interested to learn about whom he or she is dating and realize she can grab your divorce file to learn about your behavior with your previous mate. We all know that divorce is a stressful time and a time when you are not on your best behavior, so to keep your private life private - avoid litigation!
At the end of the divorce mediation process, the only document made public is your Marital Settlement Agreement. This document sets forth the final agreements made within mediation--how much support will be paid, co-parenting arrangements, visitation schedules, who gets the pet, and so on. Though still personal, it is minor compared to what is revealed at the conclusion of a litigated divorce. The courts guarantee confidentiality for those using mediation. The goal is to encourage people to agree on their own without clogging the courts with their fighting.
Popular Partial Mediation Services
Not all issues require weeks of mediation. Some things can be resolved in a matter of hours.
- Couples Contemplating Dissolution: Working with partners to decide IF dissolution is the best option. Sometimes all that's needed to save a relationship is mediating problem issues to find workable solutions.
- Custody Battle. Often times, making slight adjustments in your behavior during the custody process is all it takes to get the Court to divide custody time more evenly. Just because your situation may look helpless, doesn't mean it is.
- Parents: Helping the parents of dissolved partnerships to establish a co-parenting plan that works for everyone involved.
- Pet Visitation Schedules. Don't forget your precious pets during dissolution. They don't have to end up with one "parent." Instead, setting up a formal agreement about shared visitation can be as detailed as some people make for their children. For people who love their pets, putting your pet's interest first will make a better life for everyone. More
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Relationship Mediation. If you and your partner can't resolve certain issues, mediation will help you find resolution before the problems get so deep-seeded that divorce becomes the only way to solve the issues.
COST: We have 2 programs for you to choose from:
1. The All-Inclusive, Flat Rate Fee (Call for Fee). This program is recommended for more complex cases. If you and your partner have yet to come to an agreement on any issues and feel you will need a sufficient amount of help to negotiate your issues (3 or more 2-hour mediation sessions), then this fee structure is the most cost effective. Under this arrangement, you will know your entire cost of your mediation up front, no matter if it takes you 3 sessions or 10 sessions. This includes preparation of all of your Court documents as well as your final Memorandum Agreement. It DOES NOT include your Court filing fees (we have nothing to do this fee; it is part of the Court system.).
2. Hourly Rate Plus Document Preparation Fee (Call for Fee). This program is recommended for partners who have already come to most agreements on their own and need a session or two to ask questions regarding the agreements. Perhaps there is an issue or two to work out, but for the most part you and your partner needs help with arranging everything into proper order and getting all agreements made into a proper Memorandum Agreement. This arrangement will save you money only if you limit your sessions to two 2-hour sessions. Once you reach a third session, the hourly fee will exceed the flat fee rate. This program DOES NOT include your Court filing fees (we have nothing to do this fee; it is part of the Court system.)
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Disclaimer: Legal Information Is Not Legal Advice. The Divorce Help Clinic provides information about the law designed to help you safely cope with your own legal needs. Legal information is not the same as legal advice--the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.
