What is Mediation Consulting?

Even though mediation can help you avoid going to court, it can be a wise decision to seek out knowledge, understanding and advice from an attorney before agreeing on your settlement.

Mediation certainly simplifies the divorce process; however, it is essential to understand your rights and ensure that the agreements you reach align with your objectives.

This is where mediation consulting becomes valuable.

 

What Is a Consulting Attorney?

A consulting attorney works with individuals in divorce mediation cases. Unlike a traditional retained attorney, who represents and advocates for one party, a consulting attorney provides guidance, advice, and support to both parties throughout the mediation process. Our primary role is to provide legal advice and ensure that both parties have a clear understanding of their rights and obligations under the law.

A retained attorney represents one party exclusively and advocates for their best interests. Their primary focus is on litigation and preparing for court hearings. On the other hand, a consulting attorney works with both parties in a neutral capacity, providing guidance and advice. We focus on facilitating communication, reaching mutually beneficial agreements, and avoiding costly courtroom battles.

While a retained attorney can be valuable in certain situations, such as high-conflict divorces or complex legal issues, a consulting attorney is more suitable for most couples who are willing to cooperate and are committed to reaching an amicable resolution. A consulting attorney can provide objective advice and help minimize conflicts, ultimately leading to a smoother and more efficient mediation process.

A mediation consulting attorney will provide you with reliable legal guidance and assistance throughout your divorce. They will aid in preparing for mediation sessions, facilitate discussions, and ensure that the final agreement adequately addresses your concerns and aspirations.

The Role of a Consulting Attorney in Divorce Mediation

According to Mediate.com, roughly 80% of divorcing couples who use mediation reach a settlement. Traditionally, mediation is a lawyer-free process. However, a consulting attorney can provide valuable guidance and advice throughout the process, ensuring that your rights and interests are protected. Whether it involves matters of child custody and support, asset division, or spousal maintenance, a consulting attorney can help you make more informed decisions and achieve a fair and favorable outcome. If you have any questions about divorce mediation, don’t hesitate to contact San Diego Divorce Mediation and Family Law.

 

 

Why Hire a Consulting Attorney?

There are several reasons why hiring a San Diego consulting attorney is beneficial during the divorce mediation process:

Legal Advice

Your consulting attorney can review the mediation agreement, provide analysis, and offer recommendations to ensure that your rights and interests are best protected. We can help you understand the legal jargon, applicable laws, and potential consequences of different decisions. Easy access to legal advice empowers you to make informed choices that align with your best interests.

Additional Support

Divorce is challenging emotionally and overwhelming. A savvy, well-informed consulting attorney by your side provides you with the extra support and guidance you may need. We can help you manage the stress, ensuring that you stay focused on finding mutually beneficial solutions. Your consulting attorney acts as a neutral party, facilitating communication, and assisting in resolving any conflicts.

Advocacy

While a consulting attorney is not there to represent or advocate for one party over another, they can help ensure that your rights are protected throughout the mediation process. As your San Diego mediation consulting attorney, we can identify any potential power imbalances or unfair agreements and work towards achieving an equitable resolution. Our role is to guide both parties toward a mutually beneficial outcome, ensuring that each party’s voice is heard.

Mediation Support Case Study

Founding attorney mediator Scott Levin is all about effective and empathetic divorce resolution. Scott believes that clients and people are best off when they can move through the divorce process without getting stuck in a prolonged, expensive court battle. Given his decades of expertise and experience working as a mediation attorney, Scott is uniquely positioned to help clients as a San Diego consulting divorce attorney to provide guidance and advice. 

In this role as a San Diego Divorce Consulting Attorney, Scott’s unique combination of legal prowess and understanding of the mediation process allows him to help clients gain advantages in the negotiation of divorce settlements. 

Not long ago, Scott worked with a father named Ryan (name changed). When Ryan came to us seeking help, he and his wife were already three sessions into their divorce mediation with another mediator. However, Ryan was being pushed to agree to a child support and custody settlement that was extremely unfair and inequitable. That’s when Ryan came to Scott Levin for help. 

As a mediator, Scott Levin acts as a neutral third party who facilitates discussions between the divorcing spouses. Yet in this case, his role was as a divorce consulting attorney, acting as an advocate for Ryan in his mediation. Scott helped him rebut mistakes made by the mediator and coached him on how to approach negotiations in the meditation. The result was a much-improved financial, parenting and support agreement.   

Provide Legal Expertise 

Your consulting attorney can review the mediation agreement, provide analysis, and offer recommendations to ensure that your rights and interests are best protected. We can help you understand the legal jargon, applicable laws, and potential consequences of different decisions. Easy access to legal advice empowers you to make informed choices that align with your best interests.

Having the legal acumen and background in family law allows Scott Levin to examine a proposed financial settlement or custody agreement and determine whether it is aligned with California law. For example, in Ryan’s case, the proposed custody agreement had Ryan with his child for only 25 percent of the time. 

As a divorce consulting attorney for Ryan, Scott was able to show how California law promotes equal parenting time whenever appropriate. This helped Ryan confidently rebut the custody proposal to ultimately receive 50% parenting time. 

Provide Tailored Legal Advice

Unlike mediation, as a consulting attorney, attorney Scott Levin can provide specific legal advice to one party. This dual role means Scott can guide the client on legal matters and provide language and strategy for the individual to advocate for themselves in the mediation process. 

Provide Enhanced Communication to Clients

Effective communication is crucial in divorce. Because I’ve been a family law mediator for more than ten years, I understand the nuances of the process. I can explain and articulate concerns and legal terms clearly. This, in turn, prevents misunderstandings and conflicts and helps the client go into the mediation with a deeper understanding of the process.

Provide Cost-Effective Solutions 

Divorce is expensive. And while most couples do not want to pay for both a mediator and an attorney, having Scott Levin as a consulting attorney can actually help a spouse save thousands of dollars in the long term. For example, when we worked with Ryan and reviewed the prepared calculation for child support, Scott identified numerous errors (including Ryan’s income being calculated incorrectly) that would have resulted in Ryan owing more support than required. Ryan then took the child support information into his mediation session and was able to rebut the mediator’s figures and reduced his support by more than 40 percent! This work as a divorce consulting attorney saved Ryan more than $54,000 annually.

Contact San Diego Divorce Consulting Attorney

If you are in search of an exceptional San Diego Divorce Lawyer with a specialization in mediation, look no further than Scott Levin. To initiate a consultation or to gain more insights into our consulting legal services for those seeking advice because they are in the midst of divorce mediation or are not formally represented by an attorney, schedule free consultation with San Diego Divorce Mediation & Family Law at 858-255-1321. Begin your journey towards a peaceful divorce resolution today. Scott Levin combines legal expertise, a deep understanding of finance, and a passion for harmonious conflict resolution, making him a great attorney for those facing the complexities of divorce in San Diego.

 

Consulting Divorce Lawyer 5-star Review

“I highly recommend Scott Levin as he helped me navigate my settle agreement to ensure I wasn’t getting taken advantage of. He was very prompt and professional and it did not cost me an arm and a leg to get help. Smooth process and only thing I wish was that I was able to hire him for the actual mediation, too. Thank you so much, Scott!”
Dayna T. 

Read more client reviews and testimonials here.

Founding attorney mediator Scott Levin is all about effective and empathetic divorce resolution. Scott believes that clients and people are best off when they can move through the divorce process without getting stuck in a prolonged, expensive court battle. Given his decades of expertise and experience working as a mediation attorney, Scott is uniquely positioned to help clients as a San Diego consulting divorce attorney to provide guidance and advice. 

In this role as a San Diego Divorce Consulting Attorney, Scott’s unique combination of legal prowess and understanding of the mediation process allows him to help clients gain advantages in the negotiation of divorce settlements. 

San Diego Mediation Consulting Map and Hours

Best Consulting Divorce Attorney Near San Diego

San Diego Divorce Mediation & Family Law

9820 Willow Creek Road Ste 410, San Diego, CA

(858) 255-1321

Hours for San Diego Divorce Mediation & Family Law
Tuesday9 AM–8 PM
Wednesday9 AM–8 PM
Thursday9 AM–8 PM
Friday9 AM–8 PM
Saturday9 AM–12 PM
SundayClosed
Monday9 AM–8 PM