Mediator Services

You can participate in mediation before or after anyone files for a divorce, which starts the steps in litigation. We can help both parties resolve some or all issues through mediation.

When dealing with divorce, property division, support and/or legal and physical custody, litigation is rarely in a family’s best interest, emotionally or economically. The hostile and adversarial nature of litigation can generate conflict, which may result in the deterioration of relationships over time. Utilizing a neutral mediator (who represents neither party), often results in a faster and more positive resolution. As a neutral, we work to facilitate and balance discussions, provide factual legal information to both parties and lead the parties to generate options that will meet the parties’ combined goals. There are other non-attorney professionals the mediator can suggest to work with the parties and who may be hired as a neutral to co-mediate (such as a co-parenting counselor to assist with parenting issues, or a financial specialist to assist with financial data collection, tax, valuation, etc.)

Mediation can help minimize the time/expense of separate attorneys. We can help the parties to understand each party’s perspective and work on an interest-based settlement that may be agreeable to both parties. Using attorneys in a consulting capacity helps to minimize the adversarial nature of negotiations while still enabling the parties to get the legal advice and be protected legally. At the end we will craft a formal agreement outlining the settlement. We mediate all types of family law cases for families in all of Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William.