Are You Considering Mediation Because of a Difficult Life Situation?

A diagram of conflict and the choices one must make in difficult life situations

Mediation is designed to help all parties reach a mutual, binding agreement, often costing less and taking far less time than attorneys and litigation.

  • Mediators are impartial and neutral.
  • A mediator doesn’t have an agenda, take sides, or decide the outcome.
  • Mediators help discuss the issues together or separately with all involved parties.
  • Mediators draft the agreements between the parties into a Memorandum of Understanding, which becomes a binding contract once the parties sign.
  • Family law issues such as divorce or custody become a full legal order once a judge reviews and signs the court documents that are developed to reflect the terms listed in the Memorandum of Understanding.

Generally, mediation produces less conflict, animosity, and cost between parties compared to litigation. Here are the average divorce costs, for example.

Divorce Mediation and Litigation Costs

This is the national average cost of a contested divorce vs mediation and litigation.

Sources are based on average attorney fees, court caseload, and dispute resolution statistics.

Divorce Mediation and Litigation Timeline

This is the average time it takes to complete a contested divorce vs mediation and litigation.

The first step in starting mediation is a consultation. Are you ready to begin?

Schedule a Consultation from $175 View All Mediation Services

What Mediation Generally Provides

Less Conflict Between Parties and Better Agreements

Parties in conflict can meet together or separately, sometimes virtually, to resolve their issues and come to an agreement. Compared to litigation, mediation often lowers the conflict temperature, allowing parties to reach an agreement more respectfully and peacefully.

Save Time and Money

Mediation doesn’t require attorneys or spending multiple days in court. As a result, the timeline for resolving a dispute is much faster, and the costs are much more reasonable.

Stay in Control

A mediator is just the guide. You and the other party make all of the decisions. A mediator can help with divorce, draft parenting plans and family arrangements, help with custody disputes, or help write an agreement document for a different dispute.

Open Communication and Education

Mediation can open the lines of communication between parties, offering tools and strategies to resolve current and future conflicts. Since mediation is less adversarial than litigation, relationships between parties are often maintained.

Maintain Privacy

The discussions that take place in mediation (meeting together and separately) are confidential and protected by law. These confidential communications are not open to discovery and cannot be part of a court record. This legal protection gives the parties in mediation freedom to share what they are thinking and feeling.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mediation

Here are some common questions. If you have your own question, please email us.

Mediation is a neutral, non-adversarial process aimed at helping disputing parties reach agreements. The mediator guides the discussions and helps the parties negotiate with each other and explore options that lead to solutions. The mediator drafts the agreements reached by the parties into a written Memorandum of Understanding.

If you feel safe and all parties can communicate in good faith, mediation is generally a good fit for your dispute.

  • You feel safe communicating with the other parties and are not in danger
  • All parties are willing to negotiate in good faith
  • All parties can be truthful and transparent, especially in the area of financials
  • You wish to avoid litigation and costly attorney fees
  • You need disputes resolved faster than litigation

Mediation can take two to four sessions, depending on the complexity of the issues and the parties’ willingness to negotiate and make needed concessions. Mediation is a flexible process, and the parties make the decision regarding how many sessions are needed to address the important issues in dispute adequately.

Mediation begins with a one-time consultation to estimate your needs and costs.

Mediation costs are often much lower than attorneys and litigation.

For Keiter Mediation, here are our flat costs (subject to change). Our mediation costs for other services are also reasonable and require a low-cost consultation to begin.

Service

Flat Cost

Divorce Mediation

$3,500

Divorce Modification

$2,500

Custody Mediation

$2,500

It’s up to you and the other party to decide who pays for mediation. In a divorce, most choose to split the cost of divorce mediation, but it’s up to the parties. Costs and payment arrangements are discussed at the mediation consultation.

Keiter Mediation is a professional mediation provider that helps you resolve your conflicts quickly and respectfully.

  • We help you resolve conflict with dignity, respect, and fairness
  • Our process is designed to be straightforward, saving you time and money.
  • We focus on the future, helping you establish a foundation for effective communication.
  • Our comprehensive service supports you from start to finish.
Schedule a Consultation from $175 View All Mediation Services.