FAQ

Divorce mediation is a way for couples who are seeking a divorce to talk through all of the issues that they need to resolve with a neutral person (the mediator) in order to reach agreements about the terms of their divorce rather than going to court to litigate their divorce. The mediator helps guide the discussions about the decisions that may need to be made about children, schedules, the allocation of marital property, the creation of support agreements, and other important family matters. With the help of a mediator, couples can resolve their differences and avoid litigation in court, which enables couples to design divorce agreements that work best for them.

Currently, all mediation sessions done with the Gibson Mediation Group, LLC are online via Zoom. This is an extremely convenient and effective way to conduct mediation sessions.

No. Mediators do not provide marital counseling nor do they provide legal advice. When engaging with a mediator, couples talk through divorce issues that are important to them, which they need to resolve in order to get divorced. The mediator’s role is to be a guide who facilitates these conversations so that couples can have difficult discussions in respectful and fair ways. Both perspectives on the issues are heard. The mediator is neutral and does not represent any particular side. The mediator does not advocate for any position, other than to help the couples reach agreements on the issues that they choose to address so that they, not a court, make the decisions.

The benefits of mediation are that it is private, it takes less time, and typically costs significantly less than when a couple chooses to litigate a divorce. Unlike court, where a judge decides the outcome of a divorce case, couples in a mediation control the outcome of their divorce and their path forward.

Mediation is fair and efficient and allows couples to control the outcome. By talking through the issues that couples need to resolve in order to get divorced, solutions that are fair to both sides are reached. This helps minimize the stress and conflict that would occur if the couple was talking through their lawyers in court. Mediation also reduces the legal fees and the amount of time that it would take to litigate their divorce in court over months, and sometimes years.

Every mediation is different, but if there is marital property and/or complex issues to resolve, a mediator helps by providing you a draft agreement to review with your attorneys. Each person should consult with an attorney to review any agreements reached in mediation. This way, each party to a divorce can be advised about any legal impact that the draft divorce agreement may have on them. This saves time, effort, and money. The mediator, (who is also an attorney), is unable to provide any legal advice, but may only tell the parties what the law says. However, by mediating the issues first, this still greatly minimizes the amount of legal fees that would be needed if the couple each retained an attorney, rather than a mediator, to work through the divorce issues with them together. Also, other professionals, such as accountants or appraisers may need to be retained to adequately value marital property.

Every divorce mediation is different, and the complexity of the issues may determine how long the mediation might take. Some cases need less time, which may be from three to five sessions with a mediation, and other more complex matters could take many more sessions. The mediator helps move the discussions along, helps keep the couples focused on the issues that need resolution, and works hard to be as efficient as possible with the amount of time it takes to reach and write the draft divorce agreements.

The best way to get started with your divorce mediation is to sign up for a 15-minute complimentary consultation, by clicking the “Schedule” button. The complimentary session answers your basic divorce mediation questions. After your basic questions about mediation are answered, you may schedule a Mediation Orientation Session with your mediator, who will send you a link for scheduling a one-hour Mediation Orientation session when both parties can attend. The Mediation Orientation Session is a one-hour Zoom session that explains how the mediation process works, answers any questions that both parties may have, and allows the mediator and the parties to decide if mediation is the right fit for them. If you decide that you want to begin mediation, an Agreement to Mediate is signed by all, and mediation can then begin. You will be able to schedule subsequent Mediation Sessions with your mediator, who will send you a link for you to use to choose the dates and times that work for you. These sessions typically last up to two hours per session and are billed on an hourly rate. The amount of sessions that you may need depends upon the complexity of your case.

If you should have any technical difficulties joining the meeting, please call or text (301) 768-7060 to reach the Gibson Mediation Group.

For more information, see the instructions here: How to Set Up ZOOM for your meeting

We will use the online secure computer conferencing platform made by Zoom.us to conduct your mediation sessions.

Before Your First Mediation Session

Before your first scheduled session:

1. Download and install the free Personal Use Plan software or Zoom Extension for Chrome or Firefox Browsers from the Zoom Download Center here: https://zoom.us/download

2. Create a free Zoom account here: https://zoom.us/signup.

3. You will want to get familiar with the software and watch some tutorials
such as this one: How to Join a Zoom Meeting

4. A ZOOM link will be sent to you prior to your scheduled session, which will provide any troubleshooting tips and information.

Mediation costs significantly less than a contested divorce. There are no legal fees or retainer fees that are required. Mediation does not go on indefinitely because there is cooperation between the parties in addition to full disclosure.

The costs for mediation are on an hourly basis for mediation sessions and for the drafting of any divorce agreements that may be reached by the couples. In some instances, a flat fee may be arranged. Please contact the Gibson Mediation Group, LLC for further information.

If you need to cancel for any reason, please provide us 48 hours advance notice by emailing info@gibsonmediationgroup.com, so that we can reschedule and avoid charging you for a missed session. Thank you.

We accept all major credit cards and personal checks.