You have given it serious thought. You talked to your best friend, your minister, maybe even your therapist. You want to use mediation for your divorce. The next step is to google for mediators in the area or ask for recommendations from family and friends, right Wrong. For a mediation to work, both parties must sincerely agree to the process. This means having an honest and frank discussion about using this process to resolve all matters in the case. If one side is opposed to using a mediator, there is a good chance the mediation will fail. Additionally, if it’s Continue Reading

In a divorce matter, full financial disclosure of all income, assets and debt is not only essential for the mediation process; it’s also required under the court rules for both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, rule 410 of the Supplemental Rules of Probate and Family Court lists out a number of financial documents that each person is entitled to receive from the other. For example, either side is entitled to receive copies of the other person’s retirement statements for the past 3 years, the last 4 pay stubs, any loan applications made over the last 3 years and other Continue Reading

One of the major reasons many couples choose to mediate instead of going to court is to save money and time. So it’s important to do what you can to help get to an agreement in a reasonable timeframe. Here are some tips to maximize the mediation process to take full advantage of its benefits. Be Forward Thinking Mediation is not psychotherapy and the mediator is not your therapist. The mediation session is not the place to start the blame game or otherwise point fingers as to why the divorce is even happening. Dwelling on the past is counterproductive and Continue Reading