Newport Beach Family Law Mediation
Family Law Mediator Michael Spiekerman passionately believes that Mediation offers a kinder, gentler and more productive way of resolving the conflicts which naturally arise in divorce, domestic partnership dissolution, legal separation and custody and support proceedings. After many years as a family law litigator he has accumulated not only a vast knowledge and comfort with how matrimonial law is applied in California, but he has also received substantial mediation and collaborative law training and had the opportunity to work with scores of couples who genuinely hoped to resolve their disputes respectfully but just didn't know how to do so without outside expertise, until he was invited in to help them. We offer you that opportunity.
Mediation has many advantages over adversary litigation, although it is not appropriate for all families. Where gross power imbalances exist between spouses, partners or parents it may not work. Mediation requires a cooperative attitude on the part of each party, and a willingness to abide by minimal boundaries that exist to ensure calm and dignity for each person. It also requires that each participant be willing to be financially transparent, something that California law requires in any event, and a willingness to place the needs and interests of children first. Everybody proclaims that is their desire, but in some cases looking more deeply at how marital conflict affects a child may reveal insights that went unnoticed. Attorney Michael Spiekerman has acquired a wisdom from two decades of serving families that might benefit your own. He acts a neutral unbiased facilitator, favoring neither side. He works with mental health professionals whenever that makes sense for the parties, as well as neutral financial professionals.
There are so many benefits to Mediation. One that we find particularly matters to people today is financial concerns. Litigation is wasteful and costly, if sometimes unavoidable. It will become even more expensive and protracted in 2011 given newly enacted Family Code § 217 (which allows parties to engage in live-testimony in OSC and Notice of Motion hearings which were formally decided by declaration alone). Courts will be overburdened, and cases will take longer to complete. Similarly, revised Family Code § 2030 and § 2032 will increase attorney fee awards in favor of one party or the other and this will amplify the expense in ways that benefit litigating lawyers but possibly not the wallets and pocketbooks of those they would serve.
If the idea of Mediation is something you wish to investigate, please call our office for a free phone consult. Mr. Spiekerman is available and honored to speak with both parties to discuss the benefits of mediation and to explore with you whether it is a process that will support you.
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