San Diego Divorce Mediation. Divorce Differently, Without the Court Battle.
Resolve your divorce with an experienced California family law attorney and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. Work together to reach agreements about your children, finances, property, and future — without the expense and conflict of a traditional court battle.
Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Consultation
In person in San Diego · Online throughout California · (858) 293-1410
Professional Credentials & Recognition
Family Law · 2024–2027
Flat-fee divorce mediation, including your settlement agreement and court paperwork through judgment. Verify Scott’s credentials →
Meet your mediation team
Experienced enough to explain the law.
Human enough to help you use it.
Two perspectives. One collaborative approach.
Scott Levin is a California family-law attorney, neutral mediator and CDFA®. He began practicing law in 2004 and has devoted his practice to helping families resolve divorce issues outside the courtroom.
Mary Levin, Co-Parenting Specialist®, can join the process when parents want help creating a practical, child-centered plan. Together, Scott and Mary offer complementary perspectives without turning the process into a fight between two sides.
For parents, that means the schedule, the support numbers and the day-to-day co-parenting realities get worked out in one process — legal, financial and child-centered questions each handled by someone who knows that terrain well.
A different way to separate
Attorney-led neutral mediation for a different way to separate.
Divorce does not have to become a courtroom fight. We organize the issues, explain the choices and help you work through them one decision at a time.
Scott guides both of you through settlement negotiations as a neutral attorney-mediator — parenting, support, property and everything in between. When you reach terms, he drafts your Marital Settlement Agreement himself, and our team prepares and files the required court documents through judgment.
He represents neither spouse individually. For couples who reach a complete agreement, the divorce can generally be completed without a court appearance.
Financial expertise built into the process
As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) who also teaches community property as an adjunct law professor, Scott answers the legal and the financial questions in the same conversation. That matters most for couples with businesses, real estate, pensions and retirement accounts, stock compensation, or complicated support questions — you see what each option really means before you agree.
How we help
Solutions for the issues that make divorce complicated
Help for any family law and divorce issue — choose the kind of help your situation requires. Some couples need a complete mediation. Others need focused advice about one issue or a review of a proposed settlement.
Divorce Mediation
Resolve parenting, property, support and paperwork issues with one neutral attorney-mediator.
Property and Asset Division
Understand homes, businesses, retirement, taxes and other financial decisions before you agree.
Child Custody and Parenting Plans
Create a parenting plan that fits your children and your family instead of starting with a generic schedule.
Child and Spousal Support
Work through guideline child support and the spousal support options — monthly payments, an agreed end date or a buyout — with the numbers in view.
Prenuptial Agreements
Draft, review or mediate a California agreement with clear advice about timing and enforceability.
Consulting Attorney Services
Receive focused legal advice as one spouse, without hiring a litigation attorney for the entire case.
Also: co-mediation with Scott and Mary · online divorce mediation anywhere in California · retirement and QDRO issues (order preparation referred to another firm)
Process and fees
From your first meeting to your final judgment.
This is more than facilitating settlement discussions. The objective is an enforceable California divorce judgment — reached without the expense and conflict of contested litigation. When you reach a complete agreement, your divorce can generally be finished without either of you ever appearing in court.
- Start with a free 15-minute call. If mediation fits, the mediation agreement identifies the flat fee and the mediation meetings it includes — before any work begins.
- Financial disclosures. We provide and review the required disclosure forms; you and your spouse complete and exchange them, so decisions are made with the full picture.
- Mediation meetings. Joint sessions by Zoom or in person to work through parenting, support, property and retirement decisions, one at a time.
- Your settlement agreement. Scott drafts the Marital Settlement Agreement himself and revises it until it says what you both agreed.
- Court forms, filing and judgment. Our team prepares and files the required court documents and guides your case through judgment.
Clear terms before you begin
Our divorce mediation flat fee covers the mediation meetings specified in your agreement, preparation of the Marital Settlement Agreement, and preparation and filing of required court forms through judgment. We explain the fee and what it includes before you decide whether to proceed. Additional mediation meetings beyond the included number are billed at the agreed hourly rate; court filing fees are separate.
Most clients reach a full settlement in about 10 weeks, although every case is different. California’s six-month waiting period still applies before a divorce can become final.
- Joint meetings by Zoom or in person
- Parenting, support, property and retirement decisions
- Written settlement agreement
- Court forms prepared and filed through judgment
- Independent legal review encouraged when it helps you feel secure
Client experiences and common questions
What families say about working with Scott
Room to understand
“never let us feel confused or rushed”
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Working with Scott really made a difficult and awkward process feel comfortable and simple. He’s very easy to talk to, straightforward and patient. We went over some of the same details multiple times with minor changes in language to make sure everything in the contract would be read as intended in the future. Scott was very helpful with the entire process, he never let us feel confused or rushed as we were making decisions or verifying information. I’m extremely appreciative that we were able to work with Scott for our mediation needs to get through this stressful period with as few complications and surprises as possible.
Both people heard
“both parties felt heard and respected”
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Going through a divorce is an emotionally taxing experience, but having Scott as our mediator made all the difference. From the very beginning, Scott exhibited a high level of professionalism, fairness, and empathy. He took the time to truly understand our unique situation and needs, ensuring that both parties felt heard and respected throughout the entire process. His ability to maintain a calm and composed atmosphere helped to alleviate much of the stress and tension we were feeling.
Scott’s guidance and expertise were invaluable in reaching a fair and amicable agreement. He navigated the complexities of our case with skill and provided us with the support we needed to move forward. I am incredibly grateful for his dedication and kindness during this difficult time, and would highly recommend Scott to anyone in need of a compassionate and skilled divorce mediator.
A way forward
“helped us move forward”
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I wish we had found Scott much sooner in our divorce process. After 1.5 years of dealing with lawyers and the court system, with no progress at all (and lots of money spent), we were referred to Scott. He patiently listened to both sides and negotiated compromises that helped us agree on a settlement. Having a knowledgeable, neutral party who advocated for both of us as needed (and had the best interest of the children in mind) helped us move forward. I am truly thankful.
Reviews describe individual clients’ experiences. Every family’s situation is different, and results vary.
Common questions
How does divorce mediation work?
Scott works as one neutral attorney-mediator for both spouses. You exchange financial disclosures, meet together (by Zoom or in person) to work through parenting, support and property decisions, and Scott drafts the Marital Settlement Agreement you reach. Our team then prepares and files the required court forms through judgment. He represents neither spouse individually.
What is included in the flat fee?
The divorce mediation agreement identifies the flat fee and what it covers before work begins: the mediation meetings specified in your agreement, preparation of the Marital Settlement Agreement, and preparation and filing of required court forms through judgment. If more time is needed, it is billed at the hourly rate stated in your agreement; court filing fees are separate.
Do we need court appearances?
For couples who reach a complete agreement, the divorce can generally be completed without a court appearance. We prepare your settlement agreement and the required court forms, handle filing, and guide the process through judgment.
What if we don’t agree on everything yet?
You don’t need an agreement with your spouse to take the first step — working through the differences is what mediation is for. Start with a free 15-minute call to see whether the process fits your situation.
How long does it take?
Most clients reach a full settlement in about 10 weeks, although every case is different. California’s six-month waiting period still applies before a divorce can become final.
Ready for a more constructive divorce?
Schedule a free 15-minute introductory consultation. You don’t need an agreement with your spouse to take the first step.
In person in San Diego · Online throughout California