MEDIATION

1. Gather financial data and prepare a balance sheet and income statement. This information is necessary for completing court Financial Disclosure forms #142 and #150. All assets, debts, and income must be honestly disclosed.
2. The mediation process begins with the couple coming together to review their financial information and answer any questions to ensure all data is current and correctly characterized. The couple may have separate property and community property, which will be determined for settlement purposes. Year-end tax forms, pay stubs, investment statements, and pension information will all be reviewed.
3. If the couple has difficulty staying focused on the financial issues, leading to unproductive mediation sessions, I will meet with each party separately to move the process forward. It is not uncommon for joint sessions to become unproductive. My goal is to reach a resolution, whether in separate meetings or over the phone, while keeping the process professional and efficient.
4. For the court, we must resolve four items:
   • Child Custody arrangements
   • Child Support
   • Spousal Support
   • Division of Assets and Liabilities
5. A Marital Settlement Agreement is reached once everything has been resolved and thoughtfully considered. A projected future cash flow statement and balance sheet will be prepared so that each person can make informed financial decisions regarding budgets, investments, and insurance needs as they move forward independently.

As a neutral third party, I assist both parties in evaluating different financial scenarios and determining which is the most equitable settlement. Isn’t it better to resolve the issues unique to your situation, values, and goals rather than leaving them to a judge to decide?

Mediation requires both spouses to be respectful, reasonable, and fully cooperative. All mediation is, of course, confidential.