What Is the Role of a Mediation Attorney in Family Law Disputes?

When a family conflict escalates to the point where the family is considering going to court, mediation is often the first route to explore. An experienced local Reno, NV mediation attorney can guide you through this process and give you the best chance of resolving things through mediation and staying out of court.

How a Reno, NV Mediation Attorney Helps in Family Law Disputes

A mediation lawyer is a neutral party in your family dispute: someone who knows the law and also has specialized training in dispute resolution. Their main role is helping you and the other side speak directly about the issues that divide you and find common ground for a compromise that’s in everyone’s best interests.

How It Works

Initial Meeting

In your first meeting, the attorney can explain how the sessions will run. There will be some ground rules, some limits on what can be shared outside the room, and specific ways to lower the temperature when things get heated. The attorney may also explain in more detail the difference between their neutral role and the role of a lawyer who represents one client.

At this point, you can also expect the attorney to screen the situation for safety concerns, such as domestic violence, and to be on the lookout for power imbalances that make it hard to have a fruitful conversation.

During Sessions

You can’t have a profitable talk if one person dominates, so a key function of the mediator is to ensure everyone gets equal time to tell their side and give their opinion. The attorney will also know how to ask questions in a way that pulls out the underlying needs rather than just let people constantly rehash the surface positions.

And, since this person is an attorney, they will also be able to draw on knowledge of Nevada family law to explain why one option is workable but another may not be and advise everyone about how the courts will view a proposed agreement.

When Agreement Is Reached

Once you reach terms, the mediation attorney will record everything in a clear written memorandum, using the kind of precise legal language necessary for the agreement to pass muster with the court. The attorney won’t add any extra provisions beyond what you both accepted, but they will probably advise both of you to get an independent legal review from your own individual lawyers.

When Agreement Can’t Be Reached

Your mediation lawyer will also give you advice when you’re struggling. In some cases, it may be best to schedule more sessions and keep talking. In others, more sessions may just be a waste of time and money, and the best thing to do may be to just head to court. Based on their experience in running many such sessions, your mediation lawyer will be able to advise you well.

Call the Barber Law Group in Reno, NV today at 775-541-0865 or request a consultation online. Our team includes trained mediators with decades of family law practice experience, and we’re known for successfully getting our clients through the most complex and contentious family law cases. 

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