Our Process
Our process centralizes mediation as the primary tool to assist you and your spouse in reaching agreement on issues related to your separation or divorce. While most clients seeking a mediated settlement come to us before ever filing for divorce or retaining a lawyer (pro se/pre-suit clients), Doing It Differently™ is here to help no matter where you are along the divorce continuum.
Although there is no “right time” for mediation to occur, there are certain factors that may influence your ability to reach agreement utilizing this process. The most important among these are a willingness to go through the process with honesty and an open mind. Additionally, if you can accept the idea that you and your spouse may walk away feeling satisfied with your agreement, mediation may be a good choice for you. If you or your spouse is looking for a final outcome that will make the other suffer, mediation is probably not the best option for your divorce.
Once you decide to move forward with the process, you’ll select a mediation package or contact us for a custom plan. Most divorce mediations will occur over a period of several weeks, but some may take longer. We work to accommodate you and your spouse at a pace you both find comfortable.
During the introductory session, you and your spouse will provide information about your situation to one of our skilled Florida Supreme Court certified family mediators. The mediator, a neutral and impartial facilitator, will work with you to carefully structure a plan and lay a foundation for the remaining sessions. At this point, you will also learn more specifics about how the mediations will be conducted. Although information gathering begins at this initial meeting, it may extend into additional sessions.
In subsequent sessions, the mediator will work to reframe the issues in terms of each of your interests. Your mediator will explore the outcomes desired by each of you, as well as your concerns, goals, priorities, and values. Once the issues and interests are clear, the mediator will facilitate negotiations between you and your spouse. A successful outcome will be one that you both find satisfactory.
It is important to understand that a mediator is not permitted to provide you or your spouse with legal or any other advice. Therefore, it is recommended but not required that each of you utilize the services of a consultant lawyer throughout the mediation process. Additionally, advice from other experts, such as a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, may be beneficial to you in designing a settlement that is fair and equitable. For your convenience, Doing It Differently™ provides information and resource links to help you locate these professionals.
When terms agreeable to both parties have been reached, a tentative settlement agreement is produced for review by both parties. Although not required, it is recommended that each spouse have the document reviewed by their own consultant attorney and/or other advisors. Once a final draft is approved, the agreement is signed by both parties and can be filed with the Court, making it a legally binding document. We do offer uncontested divorce document preparation and filing services for our pro se/pre-suit clients.