Family Law Mediation and Collaborative Divorces
New Orleans, Louisiana
Unlike litigants in other areas of practice, family law litigants are likely to have ongoing contact with one another after legal proceedings have been completed. For this reason, family law disputes are particularly well-suited for mediation or for the collaborative divorce process.
The experienced attorneys at Stephenson, Matthews, Chávarri & Lambert, L.L.C., can help you decide whether mediation or collaborative divorce may be appropriate for you and your family.
Mediation in Divorce Cases
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that employs a neutral, third-party professional to facilitate the constructive discussion and resolution of family disputes.
Mediation empowers families by keeping the decision-making authority within the family structure rather than relying on a judge to resolve highly personal, complex and emotionally charged disagreements in a public courtroom. Mediation is a cost-effective option for families, from both a financial and an emotional standpoint.
Collaborative Divorce
In a collaborative divorce, there is no third-party facilitator. Instead, the spouses assemble a team of lawyers, mental health professionals and a financial specialist to guide them through the divorce process. When the case begins, the clients and all professionals agree that all issues will be resolved by private agreement rather than by judicial intervention.
At Stephenson, Matthews, Chávarri & Lambert, L.L.C., we use an interdisciplinary or "team" model of collaborative divorce. We gather a team of experts to help the spouses resolve issues like child custody, child support and division of marital property. A child psychologist, a financial expert, a health care professional and any other necessary experts are part of the team that works together to craft a workable divorce agreement.
Like mediation, collaborative divorce can be a cost-effective method of dissolving a marriage — leaving more of the marital assets available to the family members. Each spouse need not hire a separate expert; instead, the family as a whole gathers a group of professionals who, along with the spouses' attorneys, help make the critically important decisions.
Contact Our Office for an Appointment
Attorney Lisa C. Matthews is a board certified family law specialist, a family and juvenile mediator, and a collaborative divorce attorney whose local, state, national and international involvement in training and professional organizations contributes greatly to the high quality of services provided by our firm in this area of practice. Our lawyers approach these delicate matters with sensitivity and insight.
For answers to your questions about family law mediation and collaborative divorce, we encourage you to contact our office for an appointment.
