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Divorce Mediation

Mediation is truly the affordable no-court alternative in comparison to traditional litigation. One attorney (the mediator) assists both sides to reach an agreement over all divorce issues.

All your settlement discussions, concerns, statements, etc. will NOT be used against you in court or elsewhere.

Mediate. Don’t Litigate!

Harmony Family Law Mediation Group in Los Angeles provides divorce mediation legal services to individuals who want to peacefully address and mediate family disputes related to their divorce.

  • Child Custody and Visitation (Parenting Rights)
  • Child Support
  • Spousal Support (Alimony)
  • Asset Division
  • Debt Allocation

Mediated Divorce = Win-Win

Divorce mediation is a private and confidential process by which a specially trained neutral facilitator (the attorney mediator) helps couples identify their issues and concerns and assists them to reach an agreement by working together and formulating creative solutions to resolve their divorce conflicts amicably and peacefully.

The agreement is then submitted and adopted by the court, without the parties ever having to go to court.

If you want to resolve family disputes, save time and money, and improve communications, mediation is a win-win!

In a divorce mediation, your settlement discussions, concerns, statements, etc. are confidential. Mediation promotes a safe arena for individuals to consider options and alternatives, as well as, compiling creative solutions, without the fear that they may be used against you in court or elsewhere.

Most people do not realize that the cost of going to court and pursuing an adversarial process is extremely expensive and burdensome to families both financially and emotionally.

Divorce mediation is truly the affordable alternative in comparison to traditional litigation. One attorney (the mediator) assists both sides to reach an agreement over all issues.

In a traditional adversarial process, control over the individuals and their family issues is dictated by the lawyers on each side and the Judge in the courtroom. Basically, parties relinquish their control to strangers such as judges or lawyers who make important life decisions on their behalf.

In divorce mediation, the parties exercise control over their own lives because only they know what is best for themselves and their children. In divorce mediation, the individuals make decisions about their children’s future, how the parties will co-parent and share time with them; arrangements for support, and how the property and debts they have acquired and/or accumulated during their marriage will be distributed and allocated.

Divorce mediation gives individuals the freedom and opportunity to communicate constructively and formulate focused, respectful and creative solutions.

In an adversarial process, family relationships are frequently damaged and destroyed as a result of the animosity and tension. Divorce mediation fosters preservation of dignity and self worth.

A divorce agreement reached between the parties will be court approved and enforceable without the parties ever having to go to court.

The litigation process of going to court can take many months and sometimes years. A divorce case which is mediated can be completed in several hours or within weeks.

Divorce Mediation FAQ Help Center

Popular questions

We’ve put together a list of the most common divorce mediation questions that clients will ask us during an initial consultation, regardless of the particulars of their case.

Divorce mediation is a process by which a specially trained neutral facilitator (the attorney mediator) helps the parties to identify their conflict and unresolved issues and assists them to resolve their conflict and differences in a peaceful and creative way.

Divorce mediation does work effectively because the parties are positioned so that they can directly hear each other and one another’s concerns, and with the assistance of the mediator, the parties are able to accommodate each other’s concerns without necessarily compromising their own interests.

  • Domestic Violence
    In cases where there is a history of domestic violence and/or abuse, the parties will generally not be able to express themselves and speak freely to further the mediation process.
  • Concealment of Assets
    Divorce mediation is a process which requires a full and fair disclosure of assets and liabilities, as well as an exchange of information with ease. To make good agreements, parties need adequate and accurate information. If a spouse is hiding assets or a spouse believes that the other is hiding assets, then the process of divorce mediation will be hampered by the distrust and suspicion.
  • Unequal Bargaining Positions
    Cases where one party lacks the sophistication regarding financial matters and is in a greatly disadvantaged bargaining position
  • Emotional Intimidation
    In cases where one person feels intimidated or dominated by the other, he/she will not be able to sit in the same room with his/her spouse and speak freely to express thoughts and negotiate

A divorce mediation can be concluded in one day or over a period of several weeks or months. The length of the divorce mediation process depends on:

  • Complexity of the matter and issues to be resolved.
  • Emotional state of the parties.
  • Availability of necessary information.
  • Amount of information to be gathered and/or analyzed.

Most divorce mediation sessions involve an hourly or per session fee. Sometimes, couples may be asked to provide a retainer for the process of mediation. The number of sessions required to gather information and negotiate an agreement will vary from couple to couple. Thus, the cost of mediation will also vary. Divorce mediation, however, will be less costly than litigation and the adversarial process.

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Los Angeles Divorce Mediation Lawyer

Christine Kerian professional headshot

years of family law experience

Christine Kerian

Attorney at Law/Mediator

As principal of Harmony Family Law Mediation Group with over 24 years experience exclusively in family law matters, Christine has great knowledge on how to handle and resolve complex family disputes without going to court.

Christine Kerian earned her law degree in 1997 from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. Christine was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1998.

Background

Memberships and Associations

  • LACFLA: Los Angeles Consensual Dispute Resolution Family Law Association
  • Family Divorce Solutions of San Fernando Valley
  • Pasadena Collaborative Divorce
  • Virtual Divorce California
  • Collaborative Divorce California
  • IACP: International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
  • SCMA: Southern California Mediation Association
  • LACBA: Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce
  • GAMHPA: Glendale Area Mental Health Professionals Association

Client Testimonials

Below are actual client reviews about the experience you can expect from Christine Kerian. Contact her to request an appointment by calling (323) 663-1000, or completing this contact form. You can read more testimonials of Christine on Yelp, Google and AVVO.

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“Christine is both compassionate and professional and the way she guided us through this complex process made it healing and safe for us both to feel heard and valued. “
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“We went to Christine because we wanted our divorce to be civil and she made that possible by guiding us to a reasonable agreement at the end. “
Brian Walsh headshot
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“Christine helped my wife and I transition from marriage to divorced in a dignified and graceful way. She was detail oriented, patient, organized and compassionate. “
Chris Uettwiller avatar
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