If you are planning on participating in mediation, you may be wondering how to best prepare for this process. Laying the foundation for a productive mediation experience will take some prep work but is well worth the effort. Consider the following five steps as you plan for effective conflict resolution.
1. Intake process
During intake, you will complete an intake form, which will help me understand basic information about you, and the circumstances of the dispute(s) to be mediated. Intake may include a phone call between me and each party to clarify information, any potential safety issues, and to guide you in preparing for your upcoming mediation.
I will provide each party with an agreement to mediate to review, sign and return prior to mediation.
2. Schedule and payment
Scheduling will take into account any court deadlines for conducting your mediation, each party’s schedule and availability, and my availability. LKB Mediation sessions are two hours each and a typical case may include one to four sessions, depending upon the complexity and number of terms.
LKB Mediation’s fee structure is located here. Payment must be made within three days of booking or your session or the session will be canceled. Learn more about LKB Mediation’s payment policy here.
3. Goals
Think about your goals for mediation, including what you want to achieve, and why these goals are important to you. If you have retained legal counsel, I recommend consulting with your counsel before mediation. They can help you understand from a legal perspective, what you may be legally entitled to, which can inform your goals. It’s important to balance what you want and what you think is fair with what is legally viable. While we will work toward each party’s goals in mediation, we will ultimately create a mutually acceptable agreement.
4. Documents
Following intake, I will let you know, based on your specific type of mediation, what information you may want to bring with you to mediation. Likely, this will include existing court orders, pay stubs, work schedules, relevant documents prepared by your attorney, child school records and activities, current custody arrangement, relevant financial and health information, caregiver information, etc. Mediation agreements are future-focused, so bring your calendar and any relevant school and vacation calendars. Here is an excellent divorce mediation checklist.
5. Attendees:
While you may want the support of family and friends by your side, only the parties named in the case are permitted to sit in on court-mandated mediation. That said, if all parties agree, an additional attendee not named in the case can be permitted, permitted they sign the Agreement to Mediate.
In the case of voluntary mediation, only the parties who have arranged mediation are permitted, unless both parties agree upon additional attendees.
We’ve explored the steps you can take to prepare for an effective mediation process with LKB Mediation. We covered completing your intake form, scheduling, and payment, as well as setting mediation goals, bringing key documents, and limiting attendees to those required participants. Follow this guide and you will be on solid footing. Read about what to expect in mediation here.
To schedule your mediation with LKB Mediation, contact us.
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