When Parents Found Relief in a Slower, More Human Pace

The Power of Not Rushing Mediation

The Client's Core Question:
“Why does every conversation about divorce feel overwhelming?”

A pair of parents arrived to their Planning Session visibly overwhelmed after feeling pressured elsewhere. they explained that a mediator they worked with years ago charged a flat fee but did not complete the process, failed to keep them updated, and failed to follow up after a session. They were completely overwhelmed so they just stopped going to mediation and lived as roommates for three years. Now, they are ready to finalize their divorce and work with a new mediator and reached out to Birt Family Law after seeing Erin's mediate.com profile. 

Practitioner Approach:
The couple had an introductory call with our paralegal, Tyler, who gathering information to ensure we were a good fit and to briefly assess their readiness to set an appointment. Tyler explained to them that our mediator can meet with the parties in person or online, that after a planning session she will provide both a flat fee and hourly rate estimate for services based upon their unique circumstances, and our mediator will provide agendas and summaries of the sessions, if applicable, to help them mark their progress or to allow them time to process the information discussed in session. He also explained that we spread the work over manageable sessions and allowed time for reflection rather than reaction.

“A slower, more human pace allowed these parents to finally feel grounded and make confident decisions.” ~ Erin Birt, Mediator & Attorney

Value Provided:
With breathing room and a slower pace, the parents set a planning session appointment, and the parents asked better questions and made values-aligned decisions. They received an accurate quote for their mediation services which included parenting matter and financial matters since they owned a business, home, and several investments. The couple provided the following feedback, "Our mediator didn't prepare agendas, notes, a memorandum of understanding, and she did not author books to help us organize ourselves, wow, you can really help us!"

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_{Stories are anonymized composites drawn from real themes present in our cases over the past six months. They are shared for educational purposes only. Results vary. This is not legal advice.}