Divorce Mediations
A Mediation is a meeting between the lawyers, the clients and a neutral third party (a Mediator) to discuss ideas about how to settle your case. People do not have to be in the same room for the entire time and, in fact, most Mediations allow for the parties to be separated to discuss their issues with their attorneys and the Mediator. Although attending Mediation is mandatory, settling your case at Mediation is not mandatory. Most people, however, find that the Mediation experience will allow them to settle their case amicable without having to resort to a final determination by the Court.
All divorce cases must go through the Mediation process prior to being scheduled for trial. In my experience, most cases are settled at Mediation and a small percentage of cases are ever tried on the merits. Prior to Mediation, the parties both file Financial Affidavits and Mandatory Disclosure of their assets. This information allows both the clients, and the attorneys, to prepare for the issues at Mediation.