Whisenant & Associates Attorneys at Law
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Whisenant & Associates Attorneys at Law Mediation
Family Law:

We help families resolve issues
related to all family law listed.

Skilled Attorney Employs Mediation to Resolve Family Law Conflicts in The Woodlands Area and the Surrounding Counties

Cost-effective results for cooperative parties

Alhough Texas is not a state that mandates mediation before divorce issues can go to trial, most courts in Texas do require mediation prior to trial as part of the local rules which govern those courts.  This alternative approach to dispute resolution can be a useful and cost-effective tool. Mediation is less expensive than trial or even traditional negotiations, and it can occur on your schedule, rather than the court's schedule. At Whisenant & Associates, we recommend mediation as an alternative to litigation. We prepare you for mediation sessions and debrief you afterward. Throughout the process, we help keep you focused on your goals, and we review the mediated settlement agreement with you before you sign it.

What happens in mediation?

The two sides get together, usually at a neutral location, for sessions focused on one or more divorce issues. After each side makes a brief statement to the mediator in separate rooms the mediator conducts "shuttle diplomacy" by conveying the offers and counteroffers between each of the rooms until the parties reach a settlement. Mediation sessions continue until the parties resolve as many issues as possible. When you have reached a mediated agreement, you present it to the court for approval. Unresolved issues are reserved for trial. If you mediate a resolution to all ancillary issues, that divorce settlement agreement, if approved, becomes the basis for your divorce decree.

What are the benefits of mediation?

Generally speaking, mediation results in high settlement rates and high satisfaction rates. This satisfaction may help to reduce violations that require enforcement later. Mediation has other specific benefits, including:

  • Lower cost: Effective family law mediation is more cost-effective than protracted litigation.
  • Greater control: One of the reasons for mediation's high satisfaction rate is that parties have more control over the final orders, as opposed to having a judge dictate the terms.
  • Less stress: Mediation is conducted in private, not in open court, and it is cooperative rather than adversarial.
  • Faster healing: When parties to divorce work together on their settlement agreement, they often work through emotional pain. This is especially important if they have children and will have to co-parent in the future.

Despite its many benefits, mediation may not be appropriate if trust no longer exists, anger is overwhelming, or domestic abuse has taken place.

Trust our divorce mediation services in The Woodlands

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, Whisenant & Associates guides you through family law litigation. Contact us at 281.681.8889 or online to schedule an initial consultation. Se habla español.

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