HOW DOES MEDIATION WORK

Alison Patton | Patton Thickstun APC

Divorce Mediation & Consultation By An Experienced & Caring Family Law Attorney

You and your spouse meet with me for one or more mediation sessions (depending on the complexity of your case).  Almost all my clients have resolved their case within 5 sessions or less.

I can make recommendations, but I do not make decisions and am not acting as a judge. Everything we discuss in mediation is fully confidential. 

I educate you both on the law, answer questions, and provide you with a legal assessment of what would happen if you went to court. 

We make a list of the legal and practical issues which need resolution as part of your divorce.  We work through them one at a time (property division, debt division, custody and parenting if you have children, child support, and spousal support if relevant, and any other issues that exist in your divorce).  Some clients come in with a plan of how they want to settle these matters.  Other clients come in without any plan at all.  Based on your needs, I will present options and specific ideas for parenting plans, custody arrangements, division of property and debt, and so forth, based on my legal experience, your needs and your family’s/children’s needs, and how other couples have successfully resolved similar issues.

I will guide you and your spouse through discussions and negotiations for each legal and practical issue to enable you ultimately to reach a final agreement on all matters.

The agreements we reach are turned into a written “Marital Settlement Agreement” which both of you will have time to review in detail and give your approval (or request revisions) before signing. 

Once both of you have signed the Marital Settlement Agreement, this document is filed with the court along with the final court forms, and it becomes a binding court order.  You are now officially divorced.

Note that during the same time period in which the mediations are taking place, my paralegal works with you to prepare the necessary court documents and legal paperwork to get a divorce in California. For example, as required by California law, you and your spouse will exchange financial information and documents before you reach any final agreements.  We will walk you through each step of the paperwork until you obtain a final dissolution.