DIVORCE MEDIATION
My law practice now emphasizes Divorce Mediation. I am no longer taking new cases for individual clients as an attorney. I have provided divorce mediation services to approximately 750 couples.

For the last 15 years I also practiced as a Family Law Attorney in Family Court (I am a Certified Family Law Specialist), handling a wide variety of legal issues regarding custody and visitation, child and spousal support, and property and debt division. I have a client-centered approach, drawing on my prior experience as a child and family counselor for 12 years (I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker as well).

For six years I taught Negotiation and Mediation at the University of San Diego School of Law. I have also mediated approximately 100 business and personal injury disputes, many of them for the Superior Court in San Diego.

BENEFITS OF DIVORCE MEDIATION
I strongly believe that the most civil and cost-effective method of obtaining a divorce in California is by divorce mediation. I became a family law attorney in 1992 after a dozen years as a family counselor, primarily to provide divorce mediation services.

In divorce mediation I meet with both parties together in my office, assisting them in developing their own agreements. I provide legal information as an experienced family law attorney. I share many of the creative solutions other couples have used in similar situations.

An average case involves 3-4 mediation sessions of 2 hours each. Then I prepare a Marital Settlement Agreement, which includes the necessary terms for a court-approved divorce. No court appearance is necessary.

Mediation is a good method to try for almost any divorce case, at any time -- before, during or after the initial court paperwork has been filed and served. Often in meeting together, parties discover that they can trust each other enough to make rational decisions -- instead of decisions based on anger or fear. They don’t have to be amicable to still save money and make decisions that are reasonable.

However, as a mediator I cannot force either party to make decisions, and I cannot investigate financial or parenting concerns on behalf of one party against the other. Parties are encouraged to consult with or retain attorneys for separate advice, while using a mediator to facilitate out-of-court decision making.

My hourly rate is $250, with a typical mediation case costing around $3000 - $5000. Generally, this is minimal compared to the cost of a contested divorce with each attorney costing several thousand dollars for court preparations and appearances.

MORE INFORMATION
Over the past several years, I have written several articles about Divorce Mediation and about Family Court. For your convenience, copies of these articles are available at no cost by clicking on Articles on my Home Page. I now provide all of my divorce mediations at the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) at 625 Broadway, Suite 1221, San Diego, CA 92101. To schedule a mediation with me or for more Information, please call “Robin” at NCRC at (619) 238-2400 x. 220.

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