Frequently Asked Questions
What is divorce mediation?
In divorce mediation, both spouses meet together with a neutral, impartial, trained professional mediator who helps them come to a mutually acceptable agreement on issues of parenting (child custody), division of marital assets and debts, child support, and/or spousal support (alimony). Divorcing couples make decisions for themselves by directly communicating with one another in private and keep control over their own divorce process.
How is divorce mediation different from divorce litigation?
Divorce mediation is a confidential, cooperative, non-adversarial process in which parties work together with a neutral mediator to create a divorce agreement that is fair and equitable to both sides. In divorce mediation, the couple is in the same room openly discussing all the issues with one another and reaching decisions, which helps save time and money, and improves the post-divorce relationships. In divorce litigation, each party discusses each issue with their own divorce attorney. The lawyers then speak with one another. Each lawyer gets back to their client for more feedback and the entire process repeats over and over, about every issue. And there are a lot of issues to address in a divorce. This process can make divorce litigation take a very long time, get very expensive, and create a more combative, worse relationship. Studies show that children suffer more in a high conflict divorce - and that it is the level of conflict that affects the children negatively, not the divorce itself.
What are your hours of operation? Do you offer evening hours?
The divorce mediators at Westfield Mediation, LLC flex their hours to best meet their client's needs. Meetings are scheduled by appointment only. Our office hours are different each day, including evening hours. Virtual appointments are available. Our office is conveniently located in Scotch Plains, Union County, close to Middlesex, Essex and Somerset Counties.
How much money can I save in divorce mediation?
At Westfield Mediation, LLC, we charge an hourly rate that is paid at the end of each divorce mediation session. No retainer is required. Our rate is $300/hour. We accept cash, checks, Venmo, credit cards or PayPal (there is a 3.5% processing fee for credit cards and PayPal). The average cost of a divorce at Westfield Mediation, LLC, is between $3,000 and $4,000, in total, not per person. A litigated divorce costs an average of $78,000, and still parties end up settling before trial 98% of the time.
Can we meet virtually? Can we meet in person?
Yes. We offer both virtual and in person meetings. You can decide which option works best for the both of you for each meeting. All parties will meet either in person at the office or virtually on Zoom.
How long does divorce mediation take?
The length of the divorce mediation process depends on the complexity of the issues in each particular case. Generally, divorcing couples have four to six 60-minute meetings with a divorce mediator, scheduled at your convenience.
Can I do mediation by myself if my spouse refuses to attend?
Westfield Mediation, LLC offers a one-time consult with a divorce mediator for one person, if your spouse refuses to attend. This consult allows you to gather information about mediation and the divorce process. The meeting generally lasts 30 minutes and costs $150. On-going divorce mediation requires both parties to attend meetings, so you can make joint decisions about your futures.
Can divorce mediation really work if we are barely speaking to one another and/or we can't stand to be in the same room together?
Divorce mediators are neutral and do not take sides. Having a neutral third person in the room changes the dynamic of the conversation. The mediator takes control of the conversation and guides each party into participating. Each party can contribute to making decisions for their new futures. Zoom meetings is a nice option that allows people to be on the same screen without being in the same room, which provides some people the distance they need to feel comfortable participating in divorce mediation.
Do I still need to hire a lawyer?
We recommend that each party hire a review attorney to use as a legal consultant. A review attorney is a divorce attorney acting in a more limited role. The review lawyer can inform you of your legal rights, review the final divorce agreement, and file the divorce documents in court. We provide our clients with a list of mediation-friendly review attorneys to make the process easier, or you can find your own. When using mediation, you use your lawyer more as a legal adviser instead of a divorce attorney, which can save you thousands of dollars and help minimize stress. Your attorney becomes one part of your divorce team, instead of being the only member of your team. It is legal to not use a divorce attorney at all in New Jersey for your divorce, and instead represent yourself in court. It is called being pro se.
If my spouse wants to hire an attorney, can we still use mediation?
Yes. Divorce mediation and litigation can be used together. The best approach -- that is, the approach that saves the most money and provides the best result for family relationships -- is to limit divorce litigation to only those few, if any, issues that do not get resolved through divorce mediation. This way, people do not argue about matters on which they mainly agree. By finding areas of agreement through divorce mediation, divorcing couples improve their post-divorce relationship, and save valuable time and money.
Our divorce mediators are doubly knowledgeable – we know about the divorce process and we know how to work with people in dispute to arrive at a fair agreement. We can help divorcing couples reach agreements on parenting, child support, division of marital assets and debts and/or alimony/spousal support. In some cases, parties do not agree on one or two distinct issues in mediation, and they may decide to resolve those remaining problems through their divorce attorneys. This targeted approach is less expensive and time-consuming than trying to complete the entire divorce in family court using only your divorce attorneys.
If I already hired a lawyer can I still do mediation?
Yes. You can start divorce mediation at any point during a divorce, even if you have already filed paperwork in court or started divorce litigation with a divorce lawyer. A divorce mediator addresses the same issues as a divorce lawyer -- parenting plan, child support, division of marital assets and debts, and spousal support (alimony). In fact, at Westfield Mediation, LLC, we recommend that all of our clients hire divorce attorneys to use as legal advisers and to help file the final paperwork in court. To make it easier, we will give you a list of mediation-friendly divorce attorneys.
Why choose Westfield Mediation, LLC?
Westfield Mediation, LLC is one of the few practices in New Jersey that specializes in divorce mediation. It is all that we do. We provide divorce mediation services in a calm, caring way to our clients. The divorce mediators at Westfield Mediation, LLC are experienced, trained professionals who are committed to helping their clients reach an agreement. Their combined expertise in family law and marriage therapy make them uniquely qualified to serve as divorce mediators. Randi M. Albert, JD, graduated with honors from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. Michelle Weinberg, M.Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, is a graduate of Cornell University and University of Massachusetts.
In divorce mediation, both spouses meet together with a neutral, impartial, trained professional mediator who helps them come to a mutually acceptable agreement on issues of parenting (child custody), division of marital assets and debts, child support, and/or spousal support (alimony). Divorcing couples make decisions for themselves by directly communicating with one another in private and keep control over their own divorce process.
How is divorce mediation different from divorce litigation?
Divorce mediation is a confidential, cooperative, non-adversarial process in which parties work together with a neutral mediator to create a divorce agreement that is fair and equitable to both sides. In divorce mediation, the couple is in the same room openly discussing all the issues with one another and reaching decisions, which helps save time and money, and improves the post-divorce relationships. In divorce litigation, each party discusses each issue with their own divorce attorney. The lawyers then speak with one another. Each lawyer gets back to their client for more feedback and the entire process repeats over and over, about every issue. And there are a lot of issues to address in a divorce. This process can make divorce litigation take a very long time, get very expensive, and create a more combative, worse relationship. Studies show that children suffer more in a high conflict divorce - and that it is the level of conflict that affects the children negatively, not the divorce itself.
What are your hours of operation? Do you offer evening hours?
The divorce mediators at Westfield Mediation, LLC flex their hours to best meet their client's needs. Meetings are scheduled by appointment only. Our office hours are different each day, including evening hours. Virtual appointments are available. Our office is conveniently located in Scotch Plains, Union County, close to Middlesex, Essex and Somerset Counties.
How much money can I save in divorce mediation?
At Westfield Mediation, LLC, we charge an hourly rate that is paid at the end of each divorce mediation session. No retainer is required. Our rate is $300/hour. We accept cash, checks, Venmo, credit cards or PayPal (there is a 3.5% processing fee for credit cards and PayPal). The average cost of a divorce at Westfield Mediation, LLC, is between $3,000 and $4,000, in total, not per person. A litigated divorce costs an average of $78,000, and still parties end up settling before trial 98% of the time.
Can we meet virtually? Can we meet in person?
Yes. We offer both virtual and in person meetings. You can decide which option works best for the both of you for each meeting. All parties will meet either in person at the office or virtually on Zoom.
How long does divorce mediation take?
The length of the divorce mediation process depends on the complexity of the issues in each particular case. Generally, divorcing couples have four to six 60-minute meetings with a divorce mediator, scheduled at your convenience.
Can I do mediation by myself if my spouse refuses to attend?
Westfield Mediation, LLC offers a one-time consult with a divorce mediator for one person, if your spouse refuses to attend. This consult allows you to gather information about mediation and the divorce process. The meeting generally lasts 30 minutes and costs $150. On-going divorce mediation requires both parties to attend meetings, so you can make joint decisions about your futures.
Can divorce mediation really work if we are barely speaking to one another and/or we can't stand to be in the same room together?
Divorce mediators are neutral and do not take sides. Having a neutral third person in the room changes the dynamic of the conversation. The mediator takes control of the conversation and guides each party into participating. Each party can contribute to making decisions for their new futures. Zoom meetings is a nice option that allows people to be on the same screen without being in the same room, which provides some people the distance they need to feel comfortable participating in divorce mediation.
Do I still need to hire a lawyer?
We recommend that each party hire a review attorney to use as a legal consultant. A review attorney is a divorce attorney acting in a more limited role. The review lawyer can inform you of your legal rights, review the final divorce agreement, and file the divorce documents in court. We provide our clients with a list of mediation-friendly review attorneys to make the process easier, or you can find your own. When using mediation, you use your lawyer more as a legal adviser instead of a divorce attorney, which can save you thousands of dollars and help minimize stress. Your attorney becomes one part of your divorce team, instead of being the only member of your team. It is legal to not use a divorce attorney at all in New Jersey for your divorce, and instead represent yourself in court. It is called being pro se.
If my spouse wants to hire an attorney, can we still use mediation?
Yes. Divorce mediation and litigation can be used together. The best approach -- that is, the approach that saves the most money and provides the best result for family relationships -- is to limit divorce litigation to only those few, if any, issues that do not get resolved through divorce mediation. This way, people do not argue about matters on which they mainly agree. By finding areas of agreement through divorce mediation, divorcing couples improve their post-divorce relationship, and save valuable time and money.
Our divorce mediators are doubly knowledgeable – we know about the divorce process and we know how to work with people in dispute to arrive at a fair agreement. We can help divorcing couples reach agreements on parenting, child support, division of marital assets and debts and/or alimony/spousal support. In some cases, parties do not agree on one or two distinct issues in mediation, and they may decide to resolve those remaining problems through their divorce attorneys. This targeted approach is less expensive and time-consuming than trying to complete the entire divorce in family court using only your divorce attorneys.
If I already hired a lawyer can I still do mediation?
Yes. You can start divorce mediation at any point during a divorce, even if you have already filed paperwork in court or started divorce litigation with a divorce lawyer. A divorce mediator addresses the same issues as a divorce lawyer -- parenting plan, child support, division of marital assets and debts, and spousal support (alimony). In fact, at Westfield Mediation, LLC, we recommend that all of our clients hire divorce attorneys to use as legal advisers and to help file the final paperwork in court. To make it easier, we will give you a list of mediation-friendly divorce attorneys.
Why choose Westfield Mediation, LLC?
Westfield Mediation, LLC is one of the few practices in New Jersey that specializes in divorce mediation. It is all that we do. We provide divorce mediation services in a calm, caring way to our clients. The divorce mediators at Westfield Mediation, LLC are experienced, trained professionals who are committed to helping their clients reach an agreement. Their combined expertise in family law and marriage therapy make them uniquely qualified to serve as divorce mediators. Randi M. Albert, JD, graduated with honors from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. Michelle Weinberg, M.Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, is a graduate of Cornell University and University of Massachusetts.
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Westfield Mediation, LLC
1812 Front Street Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 Phone: 908.913.0373 |