If you need to resolve issues pertaining to child custody or property division, mediation may save both time and money. But it is essential to understand exactly how much this process costs before beginning it.
Private mediators typically cost more than county services; however, many may provide sliding scale fees to accommodate low-income families. Furthermore, the number of sessions and complexity of your case can also impact its final cost.
Cost
Mediation offers many advantages over court proceedings in terms of cost savings, though its exact cost depends on many variables including mediator fees and number of sessions necessary; legal advice costs also should be considered when making this decision.
Dependent upon the complexity of your case, additional experts such as financial or parenting specialists may need to be hired – which could add thousands of dollars in extra expenses to mediation costs.
Before engaging in family law mediation, it’s essential that you fully comprehend its costs. Before agreeing to take part, consult your lawyer regarding what this process will cost overall as well as how long it may take – typically four to six hours divided up into 90-minute sessions; sometimes longer sessions are necessary and homework will likely be assigned between meetings.
Time
Family law cases usually involve several mediation sessions before reaching an agreement; however, using an expedited process can reduce both time and costs by cutting out some steps of traditional court proceedings.
Mediation sessions depend on the complexity of each case and may take place either all at once, or over a series of short sessions chosen by participants. Furthermore, this process must be voluntary and consensual – meaning both parties must agree to participate and accept the outcome of negotiations.
Prior to engaging a mediator or court-ordered mediation service, make sure the fees are discussed and agreed upon before beginning the process. Most often, fees can be built into settlement of your separation or divorce settlement so as to eliminate misunderstandings over who pays and prevent one party from thinking the other party is being penny-wise and pound foolish; ultimately this saves both of you money over time.
Retainer
Family law mediation offers many advantages when it comes to divorce proceedings, not only relieving emotional strain and costs associated with litigation but also saving both time and money in terms of costs savings and reduced litigation timeframes.
Cost of mediation sessions typically is split among both parties involved, although this isn’t always true. A mediator will identify key issues and facilitate discussions to reach an agreement, then help formalize it as legal documentation.
If the mediator is an attorney, he or she will draft your agreement for you; if not, they may suggest consulting your own legal advisor; these costs may also be included as part of your retainer fee. Regardless, always get an estimate before beginning mediation to better budget expenses and make an informed decision as to whether or not mediation is right for you.
Billable hour
Billable hours represent the amount of time a lawyer dedicates to your case, such as meeting with you, research, preparing legal documents and court appearances. They are typically billed in increments of six minutes. Some retainer agreements may specify an upper limit to billing.
Family Law Mediation can help resolve disputes over child custody and visitation, spousal support payments, property division, and more. Mediation offers an affordable alternative to court litigation that may save time, money and stress.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that an improperly planned or executed mediation process may incur extra expenses later. Making decisions solely based on cost could leave you without an acceptable and workable agreement; should that happen, revisits or negotiations may need to take place as issues not covered were not initially covered in your original contract agreement. Likewise, extra expenses could arise such as hiring legal services to enforce it contract agreement.
