Welcome to the Family
Mediation & Collaboration Center
In a Divorce Trial Today, No One Really Wins.
More and more divorcing couples are discovering that “having their day in court” doesn’t bring the closure they expected. Often, they don’t have the opportunity to have their say, because the attorneys and the judge do the talking. The judge issues a decision, which may involve pages of complex documents that the attorneys explain later on.
The process is time-consuming, confusing, and almost certainly is more expensive than other options. For these reasons, the Family Mediation & Collaborative Practice Center offers two new approaches to divorce, where couples work together to reach an agreement, guided by attorneys and other professionals.
Mediation: A Smart, Personalized and Affordable Approach with a Focus on a Better Future
Mediation is a forward-looking process aimed at helping families work through difficult times and lay the foundation for a better future. In mediation, one of our trained, impartial attorneys helps couples resolve disputes and formalize a final agreement.
Mediation is an increasingly popular option for resolving family law matters for many reasons:
- Mediation is usually faster and less costly than traditional adversarial litigation.
- Both sides have time to be heard and explore a wide variety of options that will affect their lives and family.
- You and your mediator will work toward creating a final, binding legal judgment in an atmosphere of professionalism and respect.
- Mediation allows both sides to focus on their individual interests while protecting important relationships.
- You will receive expert legal advice and detailed factual information.
Your mediator acts as your guide throughout the process, helping you make informed decisions and come to a mutually acceptable agreement.
Collaborative Practice: Resolve Disputes and Protect Important Relationships
Collaborative practice is based on two basic principles: a commitment not to go to court and the support of a professional team. Both parties have their own attorneys and may be assisted by other professionals—such as divorce coaches, financial planners, mediators and child specialists—to resolve custody, parenting, support, property and other legal and financial issues.
The advantages of Collaborative Practive are many:
- There is less stress and animosity than a court trial.
- Past differences and unproductive behaviors are left behind.
- Parenting decisions put the interests of children first.
- Both parties feel more in control.
- When possible, parties confer with the same neutral experts on parenting and financial matters, avoiding the cost and potential conflict of separate advisors.
- The dignity of the family is respected.
- The privacy of the family is preserved.
- Compliance with the final settlement is usually greater.
- You fashion an agreement that works best for your family.
If the negotiations break down, or if either party acts in a way that precludes a friendly settlement, all members of the Collaborative team, including both attorneys, must withdraw from the case. Collaborative practice focuses on reaching a settlement and reducing the time and costs involved in getting a divorce.
About FM&CPC
Conveniently located in Livingston County, the Family Mediation & Collaboration Cetner serves not only Brighton and Howell but all surrounding communities and counties in Southeast Michigan. Learn More
Ann Arbor firm cuts ribbon on mediation center. Cutting the ribbon for the opening of the Family Mediation and Collaborative Practice Center, part of Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach and Buiteweg in Brighton last week are, from left: paralegal Penny Esch, receptionist Lora VanHoogstraat, attorney Margo Nichols, attorney Eileen Slank, paralegal Becky Frieseman, attorney Lindsay Nickolls, attorney Denise Couling, attorney Lori Buiteweg, legal administrator Helen Wohlgemuth, attorney Monika Sacks, and attorney Jamie O'Brien.
--Legal News Photo by Frank Weir
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