Del Mar Divorce Mediation
Work out what each settlement option leaves you able to live on.
Keeping the house can leave you with a valuable asset and a tight monthly budget. Taking retirement or stock instead raises a different set of questions. For Del Mar couples, I bring those choices into one financial conversation before we draft the agreement. I’m a neutral attorney-mediator and CDFA®, working with both of you. My job is to make the tradeoffs understandable, help you reach terms, and prepare the settlement agreement and the agreed judgment paperwork.
California attorney since 2004 · 2,500+ mediations · Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®)
2024–2027
What a proposed asset trade actually gives you
A common proposal is for one spouse to keep the house and the other to take retirement accounts or stock to balance it out. Before anyone agrees to that, we need to understand what each of you can actually use, what costs stay behind, and what uncertainty each of you is taking on. I help you compare those questions before you commit to an offset.
| Asset in the proposal | What we need to understand |
|---|---|
| Home equity | The mortgage, ownership costs, how a buyout would be funded, and the cash left for living expenses. |
| Retirement savings | When the funds can be reached, the taxes involved, and the income you expect to need later. |
| Stock compensation or investments | Vesting or transfer restrictions, taxes, price changes, and when the money actually becomes available. |
I also work with couples from Carmel Valley, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe. We can meet by Zoom or at my office at 9820 Willow Creek Road, Suite 410, off I-15 at Carroll Canyon Road.
Look beyond the balance on the statement
The house: sell, buy out, or hold it for a while
For many Del Mar couples the home is the largest asset and the hardest decision. Keeping it usually means one spouse refinancing on one income. As a CDFA® I model a sale, a buyout and a period of co-ownership side by side, so you can compare them before anyone commits. How a house buyout works.
Stock compensation and investments
If pay includes RSUs, options or other equity, the grant documents, vesting history and timing matter. I help you identify what needs analysis and compare ways to handle it in the settlement, and we talk through how changing income affects support. When specialized tax or valuation advice is needed, we bring in the right outside professional before you settle.
Retirement after a long marriage
A pension, a pre-tax retirement account and cash in the bank serve different purposes. We look at the proposed division with future income, liquidity and taxes in mind, and I help you work through the community and separate-property questions. When a separate retirement division order is needed, another firm prepares it; we discuss that process and its cost up front.
Support when income changes
Commissions, business income or stock-based pay can make a single pay stub an incomplete picture. We review the underlying information together before discussing support. Child support and longer-term spousal support involve different legal considerations, and I explain the difference so you negotiate from a shared understanding of the figures. Spousal support mediation.
Parenting plans alongside the finances
The housing decision affects the parenting schedule, and the schedule affects what each household costs to run. We look at school runs, activities, holidays, summers and the distance between homes together, and the plan should say how decisions get made when the two of you disagree later.
When the schedule is the hard part, Mary Levin, a Co-Parenting Specialist®, can join as co-mediator. Mary focuses on schedules, communication and how two homes will run for your children. I cover the legal and financial side, in one process. Learn about co-mediation.
Del Mar, personally
I grew up in San Diego, and for my family Del Mar mostly means the dogs and the beach. Oreo and Alfie, our big doodle, have logged a lot of hours at Del Mar Dog Beach with my three sons. Jake’s has been a family favorite for years, partly because the sand comes right up to the restaurant and the boys can head straight to the water after dinner. It’s a community I know as a parent, not just as a mediator.
What Clients Say
285+ five-star reviews across Google, Yelp, Avvo and Facebook combined.
Our situation was particularly unique because we had a number of complex financial assets that needed to be carefully evaluated and divided. Throughout the process, Scott's financial expertise proved invaluable for me. He was able to clearly explain complicated financial concepts…
Divorce is one of the most difficult and emotional experiences a family can go through, and we are incredibly grateful to have had Scott Levin guiding us through the process. From our very first meeting, Scott created an environment that felt respectful, balanced, and solution-focused. He was patient, compassionate to our specific and unique situations and genuinely invested in helping us navigate difficult conversations with clarity and dignity. Our situation was particularly unique because we had a number of complex financial assets that needed to be carefully evaluated and divided. Throughout the process, Scott's financial expertise proved invaluable for me. He was able to clearly explain complicated financial concepts, helping both of us understand the implications of different options and ensure that decisions were made thoughtfully and fairly. His ability to navigate both the emotional and financial aspects of divorce with equal skill gave us tremendous confidence during a process that could have otherwise felt overwhelming. Thanks to his guidance, expertise and calm presence, what could have been an even more highly contentious process became far more manageable that I ever expected. I left mediation feeling respected, informed and confident in the agreements that we reached. I would wholeheartedly recommend Scott Levin to anyone seeking a knowledgeable, fair and compassionate divorce mediator. His unique combination of interpersonal skill and financial expertise was invaluable and made a lasting difference during one of the most challenging chapters of our lives, and we are deeply thankful for his support.
How the process works
I guide the whole process as a neutral for both of you. I provide and review the financial disclosure forms; you each complete and exchange your own disclosures. I facilitate our meetings, draft and revise the marital settlement agreement, open the case when needed, and prepare and submit the agreed judgment paperwork. More about divorce mediation in San Diego.
In most cases the judge approves an agreed judgment without either of you appearing. If your case is likely to need an appearance, I’ll tell you at the start. I don’t represent either spouse in court.
Which courthouse serves Del Mar?
Del Mar (92014) and Carmel Valley (92130) divorce cases are ordinarily assigned to the Superior Court’s Central Division at 1100 Union Street, downtown. Nearby Solana Beach (92075) and Rancho Santa Fe are generally North County Division, in Vista. The assignment follows the ZIP code, not the coastline, and I confirm it at intake.
Generally, at least one spouse must have lived in California for six months and in the county for three months before filing for divorce. California also requires at least six months before marital status can end. When that period starts depends on how the case is filed, and I’ll explain which applies to you.
Why I practice this way
Earlier in my career I represented clients in court. I saw how often litigation deepened conflict and drained what a family had built, and that is why I focus on mediation.
Today I help couples resolve their divorce outside the courtroom. I don’t represent clients in contested litigation.
As your mediator I’m neutral and don’t represent either of you individually. You’re each welcome to have your own attorney review the agreement. If you want advice for only one spouse, I also work separately as a consulting attorney, after a conflict check. I can’t mediate and advise one side in the same case.
I have taught California community property law as an adjunct law professor, and explaining the law plainly is a habit I bring to every mediation.
Flat-fee mediation through judgment
My divorce mediation packages are flat-fee, with a defined scope. The fee covers the meetings specified in your mediation agreement, preparation and revision of your marital settlement agreement, and drafting and filing the required court forms from opening the case, when needed, through judgment.
If you need additional mediation time beyond the included meetings, it is billed at the hourly rate stated in your agreement. We go over the scope, the rates and any other anticipated charges before you begin.
Some cases need a separate retirement division order or help from an appraiser, business valuator or tax advisor. We discuss how that work will be arranged and any additional fees before proceeding. I offer a discount on mediation fees for active-duty service members.
We can meet at my office at 9820 Willow Creek Road, Suite 410, San Diego, by Zoom, or a mix of both.
Common questions
Can we mediate if most of our wealth is in the house?
Yes. We compare ways to handle the house alongside support, retirement and other property. The practical question is what each option leaves available for housing and living expenses. If a refinance or an appraisal is needed, we identify that before treating a proposed buyout as settled.
Do you tell us what the settlement should be?
No. I explain the legal framework, identify the information we need and help you compare proposals. I stay neutral; I don’t act as either spouse’s personal advisor or decide the settlement for you. Each of you can get independent legal advice before signing.
What if one of us takes stock and the other keeps the home?
We examine that proposal closely, including the difference between an estimated value and money you can actually spend. Taxes, sale restrictions, market risk and the timing of access all matter. The goal is to understand the tradeoffs before you agree that two different assets offset each other.
Do we have to come to your office?
No. Sessions can be by Zoom, at my office off I-15 at Carroll Canyon Road, or a mix of both. Video works well when one spouse travels for work or you already live apart, and I’ll explain how documents and signatures are handled.
Can our attorneys review the agreement before we sign?
Yes. Either or both of you can have an independent attorney review proposed terms and the final agreement, and we build time into the process for that. I remain the neutral mediator and can’t advise one spouse against the other.
Bring the financial question holding up your agreement
A free consultation is a chance to describe the property or support decision you’re facing and see whether mediation fits. Call 858-293-1410 or schedule online.