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Mediation is required for original family law actions in Southwest Michigan, and is optional for post-judgment family law, probate/estate, and civil actions that are not otherwise subject to mandatory mediation.

With or without the involvement of counsel, a mediator is to be selected either privately or from a list of court-approved mediators. When one party is represented and the other is not, it is important to select a mediator who is able to keep focus on the parties and their issues rather than being swayed by any imbalance of power in the room. When both parties are represented, a resolution is more likely with a mediator who has a full understanding of the law and experience in crafting creative solutions.

If Austin+Koffron has been appointed or court ordered to serve as mediator in your case, either the court will provide notice to Austin+Koffron to initiate the mediation process or a party (with or without counsel) may make the initial contact to our office.

Many mediations fail simply from a lack of preparedness.

Preparedness can mean different things. Sometimes being prepared means getting the input of objective professionals like accountants or child specialists before negotiations begin. 

Sometimes being prepared means having enough financial information to be able to take a sensible look at numbers before making decisions. Sometimes people do not know what they need to know because they’ve never been confronted with what they are dealing with now.

Ultimately, parties benefit when each side has sufficient information upon which to make an informed decision during mediation. For both financial and child-related matters, a guided exchange of relevant information minimizes guesswork and ensures transparency.  The imbalance of power that occurs when one side is the ‘information holder’ and the other side is in the dark is minimized.

Our unique Proactive Mediation process maximizes the likelihood of reaching a comprehensive and tailored agreement that suits your needs by minimizing guesswork.

For a more detailed explanation of our Proactive Mediation services, contact us for a joint consultation.

The court system is slow. You may end up waiting months for a simple decision to be made. And while you’re waiting, the problems and disagreements that you’re trying to work out can sometimes spiral out of control. This can be especially bad when children are involved.

Fortunately, with Austin+Koffron, you get professional management of your mediation. Many MMM complications, NNN difficulties, OOO conflicts and other problems are resolved before or immediately after they arise. You’ll be able to focus clearly on your long-term goals knowing that you’re moving quickly towards the best resolution possible.