Based in San Diego and serving California families virtually, I help couples move from filing to final agreement without the cost of a courtroom.
Who might be on my team in a mediated divorce?⌄
Mediation doesn't mean you navigate this alone — it means you get to choose who helps you. Depending on your situation, your team might include a consulting attorney (not a litigating one — someone who charges by the hour and reviews your agreement before it's filed), a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) who helps you see the long-term picture of asset division, a child specialist, a divorce coach if the process feels overwhelming, or a therapist to support you personally. You won't necessarily need all of these. But knowing they exist — and that bringing them in is a sign of a well-run process — matters.
Do I need a lawyer if I'm mediating?⌄
You don't need one to mediate. But you should have one review your agreement before you sign it and submit it to a judge. Mediation consulting attorneys are different from litigating attorneys — they charge by the hour rather than by retainer, and their role is to advise you, not to fight the case. Think of it this way: you're not hiring someone to fight for you. You're hiring someone to make sure you know what you're agreeing to.
Wait — I thought mediation was supposed to be cheaper. This is starting to sound expensive.⌄
It is cheaper. Significantly. Litigation is expensive because of what it requires: attorneys who must gather and present evidence, depose experts, argue over documents, and operate on a court's schedule. Every hour of preparation is billable. In mediation, you agree to share information openly and in good faith — no depositions, no interrogatories, no hearings scheduled months out. When you need a financial or child professional, that's a focused conversation, not a formal proceeding. In my collaborative divorce training in summer 2026, attorneys in the room put the cost of building toward a single day of trial in San Diego at $20,000–$30,000. These mediation packages are designed to get you all the way to a durable agreement for a fraction of that.