Divorce Mediation

Lake Norman Law Firm offers divorce mediation services to unrepresented couples looking to efficiently settle separation issues. North Carolina permits separating spouses to settle their claims by private separation agreement rather than court action. Still, folks usually do not know what is fair without retaining an attorney. Another option is to jointly retain a mediator to assist with the settlement. A mediator serves as a neutral party between parties to facilitate discussions, negotiations, and resolution of disputes. In essence, a mediator guides the parties to reach a fair settlement under the veil of North Carolina law. It is important to use a mediator who practices law – while non-lawyers may be wonderful facilitators, they are not privy to what judges do in actual cases. Settlements are structured based on what judges would do. Thus, parties seeking unrepresented mediation should always use a lawyer who currently practices before judges, and therefore has knowledge of current litigation trends. The mediator should bring these experiences along with alternative ideas and suggestions to the settlement process. The mediator is not a judge, or a decision maker – the settlement terms are left to the parties involved with guidance from the mediator.

It often takes two years for family law claims to reach final judgment in court. Mediation reduces the time significantly and offers other advantages.

• The parties maintain control over the issues and any disputes rather than delegate such control to a judge.
• Mediation settlements provide flexibility to clients – creative solutions and ideas can apply that would not be afforded under the law.
• Mediations often prove more successful in avoiding future conflicts.
• Mediation is more cost-effective and takes far less time to complete.
• All information exchanged is kept private and confidential unlike court actions.
• Parties who mediate experience less stress and settle their claims in a private, resolution focused environment.
• After some initial information exchange, mediations often produce principle settlements in one day’s time (or even less).
• If neither you nor your spouse are represented by an attorney, and you are seeking an efficient way to separate and dissolve the marriage, contact Lake Norman Law Firm to learn more about mediation services.