All scheduled mediations will have a two-hour minimum. There will be an additional $50 per hour rate charged on weekends and holidays and mediation time extending past 7:00 p.m.
Each Party will be expected to pay one-half of the mediation fee at the conclusion of the mediation unless there is a court order or written agreement outlining a different pay schedule.
Additional time for preparation and review of documents charged at the normal hourly rate.
Non-refundable Scheduling Fee: All mediations will require a non-refundable scheduling fee in the amount of $800 in order to reserve a date. This amount applies to the two-hour minimum and will be credited against the fee owed at the conclusion of the mediation.
The non-refundable scheduling fee must be paid in full (check, MasterCard, Visa or American Express) within five (5) business days of scheduling the case in order to remain on the calendar. One reminder notice will be sent prior to a scheduled case being removed from the calendar for failure to pay this fee.
Should you find the need to reschedule your mediation; the non-refundable scheduling fee will be credited to the new date without penalty, one time per case within a 12-month period. Upon a second reschedule of the same case, the parties will forfeit the scheduling fee and must pay a new fee.
A confirmation letter will be sent upon receipt of the full $800 scheduling fee.
Travel: There is no cost for travel to counties contiguous to Hillsborough County. A fee of $100 per hour will be charged for travel to non-contiguous counties
SELF-REPRESENTATION
Both parties are typically represented by counsel in the majority of mediations I conduct. I find that mediation without lawyers works best for couples who already have an idea of how they want to resolve their divorce. As a mediator, I am a neutral and not on the side of either party. I do not hold conferences prior to mediation, but if communication beforehand is necessary, I write to both parties in a joint e-mail so that neither party misunderstands my neutrality. For this reason, I also prefer email over phone communications. I can assist with an understanding of the documents you need for an uncontested divorce, but I do not file them with the court as I cannot represent either party.
If you wish to schedule a mediation, look at the calendar for available dates. When you have agreed upon a date, use the online calendar link and I will confirm that the date is still available. (I often get last minute cancellations — if you are flexible, you will be able to pick up an earlier date than what you see on the calendar today).
At mediation, I spend time working on the Marital Settlement Agreement and the Parenting Plan (if applicable) with the parties. The more information you have at the mediation, the easier it will be for you. For example, how are your cars titled, how many credit cards do you have, whose name are they in, what are the balances, what are your retirement accounts, what is your gross annual income, how much do you pay for health insurance, how much do you pay for children’s health insurance. In order to collect all necessary materials and data, consider all of your financial issues and try to bring that to your mediation. Often, I find that people without lawyers come in more than one time – they start the process, break to gather more info and then return to conclude the negotiations. I assist in the preparation of the Marital Settlement Agreement and the Parenting Plan but I do not prepare any other documents you will need for court, because I cannot represent either party.