Divorce mediation gives couples an option to take a more collaborative approach, one that can help them to preserve amicable relationships, avoid hefty fees, and even maintain some control over what happens next in their separate lives. The problem in the past, is that although the New York courts support mediation, couples haven’t always had the most choice when it comes to deciding who they want to work with on their case.
Location rather than “true fit” usually formed the basis of most decisions. After all, no-one wants to travel for hours every time they need to attend a face-to-face mediation session. The good news is that mediation services are evolving. Virtual mediation sessions skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic, and have continued to provide Chemung county couples with more freedom ever since.
Now, you don’t have to choose a divorce mediator based on where they are, or how easy it is to book an appointment. Instead, you can make decisions based on someone’s experience, personality, or even familiarity with your particular situation.
Why Virtual Mediation Makes Sense in Chemung County
Known as the gateway to the Finger Lakes, and “Mark Twain Country”, Chemung county has a rich heritage, an incredible history, and a wonderfully diverse population. According to the 2000 census, about 49.80% of households in the region were made up of married couples living together, some happily moving through life as a team, others struggling with relationship breakdowns.
For the couples who chose to end their marriage in the past, options were often limited to either taking the case to court, with a family attorney like me, or seeking out a mediator. Unfortunately, finding a mediator that checked all the right boxes for personality, experience, and location, wasn’t easy. Some couples even ended up sitting on long waiting lists for months.
When virtual mediation sessions were introduced as an option during the pandemic, the opportunities for couples started to open up. Sometimes, they’d find someone close to home. But when they didn’t, they had the option to choose someone located elsewhere in New York.
For many couples, choosing a “remote” mediator made a lot of sense for a few reasons. Not only did they have more freedom, but they could attend sessions from the comfort of their own home, avoid exhausting travel, and move faster into the next stage of their lives.
What I Offer as a Virtual Chemung County Divorce Mediator
The freedom afforded by virtual divorce mediation services gives Chemung County couples more options – but there’s still the challenge of figuring out which partner is best for you to consider. Over the years, I’ve worked with couples as a divorce attorney, collaborative lawyer, and mediator – depending on their needs, and I’ve connected with clients all across New York.
Often, when I ask these couples what caused them to choose me over someone more “local”, they share a few insights. By far, one of the most common answers I get is that I have unique experience I can bring to the mediation process. I’ve been a family lawyer in New York for more than 20 years.
Initially, after I passed the bar exam and started working for some New York law firms, after practicing for around five years I opened my own practice. I worked on the Suffolk County assigned panel. During that time, I learned a lot about family law through child custody, child support, and family offense caeses, all which could be challenges couples face with divorce. I discovered that I wanted to devote my career specifically to family law. When I opened a practice of my own, I started with a focus on litigation, which I still do, but I now also embrace the benefits of mediation.
The years I’ve spent helping couples tackle issues related to equitable distribution, parenting time, custody agreements, and more means I can share unique, real-world perspectives with couples that choose me as a mediator. I can explain how other clients have overcome specific issues (without referencing specific people), and help people see the perspective of the courts.
This insight often comes in handy when I’m using evaluative mediation techniques intended to objectively guide my clients, and assist them in making positive decisions for their future.
Fair, Objective, and Compassionate Mediation
Although my experience in family law is valuable to my clients from Chemung County, and various other parts of New York, it’s not the only factor clients consider. Another common reason parties choose to work with me is that I take a cautious approach to mediation, one that’s designed to ensure each party has their say, while also maintaining positive momentum.
For instance, during a mediation case, I may start off using interest-based negotiation techniques, designed to get to the bottom of the potential priorities and concerns each client has. Both people get the same amount of time to discuss what matters to them without judgement or interruption, and both get an equal amount of guidance and support from me.
When, as is often the case, we reach a sticking point, because one party can’t see things from the perspective of the other, or emotions run high, I turn to facilitative mediation strategies. These techniques are all about improving communication, with structured brainstorming, reframing, and open-ended questioning. They help to keep the conversation moving forward, and can stop couples from getting stuck in old arguments, or stressful situations.
The beauty of this approach is that it doesn’t require a face-to-face interaction to be effective. Virtual mediation sessions work just as well. In fact, some clients tell me that being able to attend a session from a place they feel comfortable (like their living room), makes discussing difficult topics honestly and openly much easier.
Virtual Mediation for Chemung County Couples
Divorce always has its complexities, regardless of whether you’re following the litigation route, or experimenting with mediation. But if you do decide to take the alternative dispute resolution avenue, then finding someone you feel truly comfortable and confident with makes a huge difference.
Sometimes, that means looking for a less traditional solution, with a virtual mediation service that can adapt to suit your specific needs. That’s what I aim to offer to couples all throughout New York and Long Island. If you’re based in Chemung County, and think divorce mediation on a virtual basis might work for you, I’m here to help.
If you want to learn more, or ask any questions, I offer a thirty minute free consultation for couples who might be interested in working with me. You can contact my team to arrange an initial discussion via the contact form on this website, or over the phone.
If you’re ready to move forward, my team is here to help you find the path that works best for you, whatever that might look like.