New York residents who are preparing for divorce are faced with a myriad of issues, from child custody to home ownership to spousal support. The first step in preparing for your divorce is to consider the unique issues your divorce raises for your family, as well as gathering documentation to support valuation and ownership of assets. The following divorce checklist, though not exhaustive, offers clients a general overview of the types of documents needed by the court as well as the issues that will need to be addressed during your divorce.

Generally, mediation occurs in joint sessions with both parties present. The idea behind joint sessions is that compromises are best reached when both parties are present and participating. Joint sessions can have drawbacks however: some clients are uncomfortable revealing certain aspects of their divorce in front of their partner or the divorce may be so contentious that the presence of both parties hinders mediation.

As mediation becomes more popular, common myths about mediation have developed that confuse or dissuade prospective clients from pursuing alternative dispute resolution, despite its proven effectiveness. In this article we will address common myths about mediation and shed light on the reasons why these myths are false.

Only people who agree on key issues can mediate

In New York, child custody mediation is not mandatory; however, many parents choose mediation over traditional court proceedings because of the affordability and efficiency mediation offers. Mediation is a great way for each parent to be able to address their concerns while working with an experienced mediator to reach a child custody agreement that is a long-term workable solution for the entire family.

Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution wherein the parties, with the help of a mediator, can retain more control over the outcome of their legal dispute without the expense, time commitment and adversarial nature of traditional court proceedings.

Before embarking on your first mediation session, there are four simple steps that you can utilize to make your mediation effective and as stress-free as possible.