How Much Does Santa Clarita Divorce Mediation Cost

If you are going through divorce in Santa Clarita, one option you might want to consider is Mediation.  Mediation costs are much less than hiring an attorney for your Satna Clarita divorce.  In fact, the cost of mediation and our Santa Clarita divorce mediation services combined, will cost you less than half the amount you would be asked to pay for a lawyers retainer fee for your Santa Clarita divorce.  Watch this video for more information about how much Santa Clarita divorce mediation cost.

Tim: Mediation let’s tell folks how low cost it could be.

Lisa: Okay.

Tim: With mediation let’s say combined with our service where let’s say we are your Legal Document Preparation, we do the paperwork for them, we take care of all of going to court filing and serving all that.

Lisa: Right.

Tim: But they need help with the agreements.

Lisa: Okay.

Tim: So we can kind of work cohesively together, our two companies I would say we get this case filed and get things started and get their financial stuff out in the open.

Lisa: Right.

Tim: Get that stuff done. And then generally, is that a good time for them to start the mediation process?

Lisa: Yes. So the way that I work it and I’ve done a lot of research and I’ve talked to a lot of Mediation Firms and I’ve worked with and I’ve gone through lots of pretty intense trainings.

I continue to go and learn new things. The field is just expanding very quickly. And I’ve talked to everybody that I can about ‘Well how do you set up your process? And how do you have your fee?’

And you know most of attorneys they do it with the way attorneys do it.

Tim: Right.

Lisa: And is pretty uniformed and that’s how they do it. Non-attorney mediators have a bit of a different and we can be more flexible.

And we can decide–we’re going away from the attorney set up as far as fees. My initial consultation is free.

Call me on the phone and ask me as many questions as you want. I’m not going to charge you for it. I’ll take 30-60 minutes with you and explain the process.

I’ll let you ask as many questions as you want. I’ll send out a pocket before that you can read through.

And ask any questions about that, the mediation agreement, what it all entails and then after that it’s a $150 per hour per party for each session.

And they usually last, each session we max out at three hours. I find that after three hours people just don’t want to think anymore.

That’s about the maximum. And I know I have heard about marathon mediation sessions that go all day long and people are just dead.

They can’t think anymore. They don’t want to talk anymore. They don’t want to try to come to any kind of agreement anymore.

And there’s not a whole lot of progress made. So I’ve decided that three hours chunks.

If it’s a simple mediation and then the partners have talked extensively before they even come in a three hour session is probably all they need.

Tim: And they may be mediating in every part of them?

Lisa: Exactly.

Tim: Or maybe just a single issue.

Lisa: Exactly. So –

Tim: Right?

Lisa: Many times I’ve had attorneys that don’t want to deal with the emotional parts of mediation where children are involved.

They asked me to step in and do the parenting plans because that’s something that they’re not comfortable with. They don’t like the wife crying.

They don’t want to hear all about the trauma and they say, ‘Hey you know Lisa is a mediator. And she’s going to help you out with the parenting plan. And hopefully the two of you can figure something out as far as the kids are concerned. And then you can come back and we can talk about your money.’

Tim: So what is the Math on that? You said a $150 per hour per party?

Lisa: Per party

Tim: Per session.

Lisa: So it’s like $300 if you go to a three sessions. So it’s 900 bucks for that session.

Tim: For three hours?

Lisa: For three hours.

Tim: Okay.

Lisa: If it’s an extensive mediation to where they haven’t even thought of anything, they’re just starting the process sometimes it will take two or three sessions to get through all of what they need to come up with the best agreement.

Tim: It depends on how much they have?

Lisa: But there’s no hidden cost. They’re not going to get a bill.

And I usually ask them to pay that before the mediation depending–

Tim: Okay.

Lisa: And if it go shorter then I refund them as ‘Okay, I think this is probably going to be two hour session.’

Tim: Yes.

Lisa: And we knocked it out with an hour and a half. Then I refund that amount.

Tim: Sure.

Lisa: There are no hidden costs. And as far as the filing this is why I think our two companies is such a great partnership because as a non-attorney mediator, I don’t have the legal background.

I’m not allowed. It’s illegal for me to drop any kind of legal documents.

Tim: Same with us.

Lisa: So I—

Tim: We’ll draft legal documents.

Lisa: Right.

Tim: Okay, and then Lisa you give legal advice?

Lisa: No. No legal advice.

Tim: Yes.

Lisa: I always say, ‘You know what? It’s probably –‘

Tim: We draft legal documents.

Lisa: Yes, I was going to say that’s what you do but no legal advice.

Tim: Right.

Lisa: And—and attorney mediator shouldn’t be doing that anyway. But as a non-attorney it’s easy for me because I don’t do the law. That’s not what I do.

Tim: Right.

Lisa: So that’s where I say, ‘but I have this great company that will get everything together that needs to be filed. And your costs are also extremely low.’