Divorce Mediation and Selecting Your Mediator

Your relationship with your mediator is fundamental. It will control your experience from the start of the process until the finish. Everyone wants a mediator who is intelligent and knows the law, but what else is important?

I think the key here is to ask yourself what is most important for you. Does warmth mean a lot or are you the kind of person who focuses more on someone who is more matter-of-fact and authoritative (like most judges if you end up going the litigation route). Is it important to you that your mediator is very responsive. Some clients like daily or near-daily contact; others don’t require that much attention. Is your mediator’s experience all-important. Some clients value the lawyer who has had extensive experience litigating cases; others don’t care so much about this.

Once you have a sense of what is important for you, spend some time finding the correct person for you. I personally don’t place a great deal of stock in website bios, although they will usually answer the experience question for you. Check to see if the mediator has a blog. That will usually give you more insight into his/her approach. And, of course, speak to relatives and acquaintances about their experience either in divorce litigation or mediation. That will give you more insight.

If you wish to schedule an initial consultation please contact me at 212-605-0435 or 516-510-7717.