THE PROCESS
What is Kids-First™ Mediation?
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THE KIDS™-FIRST APPROACH
Structured + Affordable
The goal of Kids-First™ Mediation is to replace the ambiguous and expensive amicable divorce options with an easy-to-understand step-by-step divorce process.
We replace overwhelm with order.
Kids-First™ Mediation helps you foster healthier co-parenting communication, negotiate respectfully, keep professional meddling to a minimum, and get through your divorce efficiently so you can move on to just being co-parents.
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KIDS-FIRST™ MEDIATORS
Compassionate + Effective.
Kids-First™ Certified Mediators genuinely care about the outcomes for the families they work with and do this work for the right reasons.
They lead with compassion during an emotionally overwhelming time and reduce stress by breaking down the decisions you need to make and allowing you the space to think through your choices.
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FAQs
Your Questions, Answered
Answers to some of the most common questions about our services, processes, and mediators.
Mediation is a confidential process where a neutral facilitator (mediator) helps you reach agreements outside of court. Mediation is less expensive than litigation and can help you keep your coparenting relationship intact for the benefit of your kids. Kids-First™ Mediation usually falls into the "pro se mediation" bucket, which means there are no attorneys representing either of you. However, we do also have an option that involves attorney support should you need it.
Ultimately, the goal of all Kids-First™ Certified Mediators is to help you communicate in a healthy, respectful and effective manner so that you can come to decisions you both feel comfortable with and get through this process with as little cost and conflict as possible.
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Acts as a neutral facilitator through out the divorce mediation process
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Works with you and your spouse through the parenting plan template and timesharing options, bringing up topics or details you may not have thought of
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Provides alternative options or ideas that can help you reach agreement
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Drafts your agreements (Parenting Plan and/or Marital Settlement Agreement) as you make decisions (or, prepares a Memorandum of Understanding/Term Sheet if Mediators in your state are not allowed to draft)
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Runs child support guidelines/worksheets for you
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Helps you communicate effectively so you can come to terms on difficult financial decisions
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Helps you work through spousal support terms
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Connects you with other professionals who can help you navigate complex calculations and decisions (experts in divorce finances, mortgages, retirement accounts, etc.)
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Connects you with reputable and ethical attorneys, if desired, who will not charge unnecessary fees or create conflict
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The short answer is yes, you can get divorced without attorneys.
The long answer is: You made all (or most) of your parenting and financial decisions up to this point without lawyers. If you can work together to unravel your marriage amicably, without lawyers, then no, you do not need lawyers to get divorced. The statistics actually show that more people get divorced without lawyers (or with just one lawyer) than with two attorneys.
If you ever have questions or reservations about the agreements you have come to, our Kids-First™ Certified Mediators can connect you with reputable attorneys to get your questions answered or to review your agreements. Signing up for the Kids-First™ approach never prevents you from consulting with an attorney or bringing attorneys into the process later.
It depends on how motivated and organized you both are. Generally, our Kids-First™ Mediation process involves weekly, 1-2 hour meetings. If you are looking to move faster, you could always meet twice per week.
Some parents can move through a parenting plan in a few sessions while others need much more time because they need to work towards closer alignment on key issues.
Our Kids-First™ Certified Mediators work hard to help you communicate effectively and find solutions that can work for both of you and keep you moving forward through the process.
At the end of the day, a mediator cannot force either of you to move at a certain pace. How long this takes is really determined by the two of you, but our mediators will do everything they can to help you move to the next chapter of your lives efficiently.
Mediation is also highly effective and widely used to resolve paternity cases, create parenting plans and calculate child support. Many of the issues in a paternity case are very similar to the issues in a divorce case. Your chosen Kids-First™ Certified Mediator can explain how the process works in your state.
Our Kids-First™ Mediators can connect you with financial professionals and resources that will help you and/or your spouse get clarify on key financial issues like alimony, business valuations, equitable distribution and options for your pension. Many of our clients work through these issues themselves in mediation, so it is not a "required" part of the Kids-First™ process, but an option we very much support in order to help parents feel confident in their financial decisions.
A.C.
“Always keeping our children as the top priority”
"The process was straightforward, and the cost was very affordable compared to other options I explored. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a compassionate and efficient mediation experience."
J.D.
"Truly cared about helping us reach an amicable agreement"
"Helped us navigate an incredibly difficult situation with professionalism, compassion, and a steady hand. Her ability to facilitate productive conversations and find fair solutions made a challenging process much smoother than we could have imagined."
K.C.
"Highly recommend for anyone seeking compassionate and proficient divorce mediation"
"The approach is incredibly effective, focusing on low-conflict, cost-efficient strategies that prioritize the well-being of children and transparent communication. The method not only facilitates smoother negotiations but also results in significant savings for clients."
L.P.
"Would recommend a million times over to anyone going through this difficult process"
"When dealing with the stress and emotional draining that a divorce causes the last thing you want to think about is lawyer fees and paperwork. She takes all of that away by guiding you through the entire process and referring you to someone who can help file it with the court or walking you through the steps to file it yourself."