In order to stay safe, sessions are currently taking place over Zoom. We hope to return to our offices in Downtown Manhattan, a warm and calm setting where participants come together on neutral ground.
We are available weekdays and evenings. Please call our office, 646-234-8337 or email us at info@familymediationmatters.com, to make an appointment. There is no long intake session. We get started right away.
Sessions are typically 1 ½ – 2 hours long.
We charge an hourly rate, and payment is due at the end of each session. Please call our office for more information. 646-234-8337.
Simply give our office a call at 646-234-8337 or email us at info@familymediationmatters.com.
Mediation is a relatively new process that is not always well understood. Do not be surprised if the person you are in conflict with has little enthusiasm at first. Don’t give up. Be open and invite them to speak with us or visit this website. If possible, develop a plan together. For example, you might schedule a joint consultation to learn about the process and to decide if mediation is right for the two of you. Feel free to call our office for more suggestions.
The scope of mediation is far narrower and less probing than therapy. The mediator navigates you through your emotions to help you identify needs and solutions. When both parties hear and understand each other, these solutions usually emerge rapidly. However, while our objective is to resolve issues, personal growth and healing often follow.
We typically see children ages 11 and up, but please contact us if you have specific needs.
Mediation is not a power play. It’s an opportunity for open and honest conversations in which each party gains an understanding of where the other one is coming from.
Yes. This is the safest environment to voice all your concerns, frustrations, and anger. Your parents have come to mediation to hear you.
Divorce mediation is a non-adversarial process in which spouses work together with a neutral mediator to clarify their goals, identify their options, and work through issues that must be resolved before finalizing their divorce. By facilitating the conversation in an impartial fashion, Family Mediation Matters helps you control the outcome of your divorce. By collaborating, both spouses resolve issues quickly and without the huge costs incurred in court battles. This process provides a kinder approach to dissolving a relationship that was once meaningful and lays the foundation for effective communication going forward. This is especially important for couples with children.
Because the financial, emotional, and time costs of mediation are far less than those incurred in battling it out in court. Moreover, you, rather than a judge, control the outcome of your divorce agreement. Litigation tears families apart. Choose mediation because it is a collaborative process that helps you communicate and move forward in a way that addresses every family member’s needs. Each party walks away satisfied.
The length of the process and the number of sessions depend on many things. These include the complexity of your case, the level of cooperation between you and the other party, and your ability to negotiate. Sessions typically last between 1 ½ and 2 hours. Some couples resolve their differences in one or two sessions while others may need six or seven. Mediation is easier to schedule and can be completed in a significantly shorter time than going to court.
That is your personal choice. Attorneys may be consulted during or upon completion of the process. If you have one, he/she is more than welcome. However, because mediation rests on the parties hearing one another speak candidly, lawyers who attend typically just listen and advise. Upon completion of the mediation, couples are encouraged to have their Settlement Agreement reviewed by independent counsel before signing it. We can recommend many mediation-friendly lawyers who advise and coach you without derailing the mediation process.
You will usually formalize your decisions by a written Settlement Agreement. Each spouse then has the option to have the agreement reviewed by their own independent attorney before signing it. The Settlement Agreement and other legal documents are submitted to the court and you are single and unmarried on the date that the Court enters the Judgment of Divorce.
No special preparation is needed for the first session. However, we will make better progress if you arrive with basic information about your assets, liabilities, children’s schedules, and goals.
