Nature of Cases
- Multiple parties or participants
- Difficult to resolve
- Ongoing relationships between parties with strong emotional undercurrents
- Complex issues
Tampa Mediations: A Firm Focused On Out Of Court Divorce Options
For the last 6 years I have worked exclusively in out of court processes as a Mediator or as an Attorney representing a divorcing party in an out of court process such as a mediated divorce or a collaborative divorce or a negotiated settlement. I have chosen this route for several very good reasons. First, litigated divorce hurts families, depletes family money and causes resentment and anger that continues to escalate even after the divorce. Second, extended negotiation usually yields the best results. Why? Because the emotional side of divorce must be addressed. It is this side that normally fuels litigation. A negotiated format allows professionals to work with you to address emotions and help you move through them without escalating conflict in litigation which ends up costing you a lot of money. Divorce takes time but that time does not need to be filled with litigation. While that time may be difficult indeed, it is necessary time to sort through issues and figure things out. Finally, people make better deals when all the professionals involved have as their goal the best interest of the family. This promotes healthy outcomes and erases the idea of “winning” at all costs.
At the end of the day, divorce is usually one half business transaction and one half establishing a new relationship with the father or mother of your kids. You need help doing that. Most often litigation just makes things worse. Using the professionals out there to help you complete a fair and reasonable business transaction that works for your family sounds much better doesn’t it? And using professionals who have worked in this field for many many years to help and support you in establishing a workable relationship with the other parent makes sense right? This is what good mediators and lawyers who work outside the court system do. They use their experience with families and the law to help families.
If you are interested in any of the processes described, please read more at the specific links and contact me to set up an initial consult. In my mind, the initial consult is a key aspect of your case. The more you know and understand at the outset, before any process begins, the more likely you will be to achieve a good outcome. Choosing to save the marriage is a choice as well. I have consulted with individuals and with couples together depending on my role as attorney or mediator. Read more about my consults in the links and feel free to contact me to discuss your situation.
The vow you take says, “I am not leaving.” And so you dont…ever…because that is the boundary. And now you know it and have predictability and security. Really think about whether you want the “freedom” of divorce. Is that really a benefit? Listen and think hard about the vow you made.
Well, it looks like Florida is trying to force feed certification in the mediation field again. Read here. Quite frankly, I say proudly that I am not certified. I have a vast amount of experience litigating cases and have been mediating for about 8 years now. I still represent family law clients as well just […]
The Bill could not even get heard. I am sure we will see this again sooner than later. I think alimony needs reforming but hey, I think No-Fault needs reform…fault is important and should matter.
Less and less cases are making it all the way to trial. We attorneys know that alternative dispute resolution is one of our most important tools. USC Gould School of Law announced it is launching two new master’s degrees for attorneys and professionals in one of the fastest growing areas of law and business – […]
For some couples – especially those entering second marriages – a prenup can be an excellent vehicle to take care of financial and estate planning issues. Consider someone entering a second marriage who has kids from a first marriage. He or she may want a prenup to ensure the kids are taken care of and […]
Several years ago I would have poo poo’d this article. But being a divorce mediator now for close to 10 years I think in many cases being hard-nosed or even hostile can force the parties out of their own embedded hostilities and increases their willingness to come to agreement. I’m not certain why but my […]
With the new tax laws, alimony is no longer going to be deductible to the payor or claimed as income by the payee. Effective January 1, 2019, the new law takes effect. Other changes in the tax bill worth noting include the fact that there is no longer a tax exemption for children. However, the […]
Why do lawyers become mediators? One reason I hear pretty often is to get out of the “stress” of being a lawyer. Another common reason is because “I want to help people resolve their differences peacefully.” Yes, back in the day, I too sort of had those reasons when I first approached mediating. However, as […]
The research is clear – porn destroys relationships and will bring pain and damage to a marriage – the most precious relationship precisely because it mirrors that of our Lord – the sacred Trinity. As the Trinity is in relationship of love, so are the spouses in marriage. Now that pornography is widely accepted, accessible […]
I have seen the moms who take their kids to Mass to begin their day. And yes, I wondered about them. At the time I was going to early morning Mass I was going alone on purpose…to pray…and get closer to the Lord. Those moms often had their hands too full to be able to […]
we live in a time that espouses a relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive. By adopting the relativistic mindset “truth” no longer exists and, don’t kid yourself, neither do facts, unless they fit in with what a particular individual cares about. This allows for the current trend of labeling those who disagree as […]
Little James is comfortable being a boy when he is with his dad. So why does his mom dress him as a girl and call him “Luna.” James is only 6 years old. Mom had James diagnosed by counselor at Dallas Rainbow Counseling and said counselor diagnosed James with Gender Dysphoria despite spending time with […]
The case detailed how these agencies usurped Calgaro’s parental rights over her minor son, providing him with transgender services and narcotic drugs. The youth was handled by the defendants as an emancipated minor despite there being no court action to that effect. Neither the school district, county, nor any of the medical agencies named in […]
A University Professor sues after the University requires he use a student’s preferred pronoun. Read the article here. After conducting a formal investigation into the incident, the university rejected Meriwether’s offer to refer to the student solely by name and accused Meriwether of “creat[ing] a hostile environment.” Administrators then placed a warning in Meriwether’s personnel […]