Separation & Divorce Cases

Separating couples face many complex issues including division of property and parenting arrangements. The ability to have constructive and respectful conversations about these issues can help each party move on. The benefits to the parties and children can be immense.

We strongly encourage each party to retain an attorney. While much can be settled in mediation, professional advice from an attorney is necessary. Through mediation, the parties can develop a Memorandum of Understanding about agreed upon points.

Services are available at convenient times and on a sliding scale fee basis. There is a fee of $25 per person for preparation of the Memorandum of Understanding.

More about our sliding scale fee:

The Orange County Dispute Settlement Center strives to provide affordable and high quality mediation services. The minimum fee is $25 per person per session, and the maximum fee $125 per person per session. Participants pay separately for every session based on their gross annual income.

The sliding scale fee is $1 for every thousand dollars earned as gross annual income. Mediation sessions may last up to two hours. Payment is expected at the end of each mediation session unless other arrangements have been agreed upon prior to the mediation.

Examples:

• A person with a gross annual income of $30,000 will pay $30 per mediation session.
• A person with a gross annual income of $0 to $25,000 will pay $25 per session.

We make every attempt to accommodate your schedule. Please make cancellations at least 24 hours in advance to avoid a $20 cancellation fee.

For more information, contact Julie Potts at jpotts@disputesettlement.org. To get started on the process, download the forms below, and send in your information form.

Client information/mediation application (122k)

Consent to mediate (56k)
This is a sample copy of our Partnership/Marital Separation Mediation Consent to Mediate form. This form is the only signed document in separation mediation and is signed by the mediation participants and the mediators, at the beginning of the first mediation session.

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