Long Island Family Law and Mediation Blog
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Divorce can be a complex and emotionally exhausting experience for any couple. Even if two people decide mutually to end their marriage, there are various challenges to overcome before each party can move on with their separate lives. One effective way to minimize the stress and complications of a divorce, is to consider mediation – a collaborative method for dispute resolution.
Divorce mediators like me, Mr. Darren M. Shapiro, can support parties throughout regions of Long Island and New York to help people address everything from equitable distribution to child support issues. For residents of Manhattan, a reliable divorce mediator can offer an excellent combination of support, guidance, and insight, tailored to suit your specific needs.
As a resident of Suffolk County, a long-time New York matrimonial and family law attorney, and a local source of insight for Manhattan residents, I strive to help all of the people I work with discover the benefits of divorce mediation. Here’s an insight into why Manhattan based clients can choose me for their mediation needs including the ability to zoom or manhattan virtual divorce mediation (in person mediations at my office are always a possibility too).
Manhattan Divorce Mediation: An Introduction
Though Manhattan is one of the smallest boroughs of New York City, geographically, it’s also one of the most densely populated, acting as the home to more than 1.6 million residents. Situated on the southern tip of the state of New York, Manhattan is often seen as the cultural epicenter of the region. It has even been described as the entertainment, cultural, and media capital of the world.
Like the other regions of New York, Manhattan is a diverse landscape, hosting families and individuals from various walks of life. As a resident of Suffolk County, with a local office in Nassau County, I have been privileged to work with clients throughout Manhattan, as either a divorce mediator, or a matrimonial / family law attorney.
Since initially being admitted to the State Bar of New York in 1999, I have honed my attention on the family law space, supporting residents throughout New York and Long Island. For about 2 decades, I’ve helped clients to handle matrimonial cases in New York County in Supreme Court and family law cases in the family court. Family law issues may be about child custody, family offense (orders of protection), and child support, within the New York County Family court.
My knowledge of Manhattan, New York, and the courts of the region often proves extremely valuable to my clients. With my guidance, many clients have successfully presented the agreements forged in mediation to the court thus side-stepping unnecessary complexities.
A Flexible Approach: Virtual and In-Person Mediation
When I first began my journey into the world of family law approximately two decades ago, I earned significant experience working with the Assigned Counsel Panel in Suffolk County. It was this experience that inspired me to continue to focus on and grow my own family law practice. In 2012, my experience in the world of mediation encouraged me to start delivering a new form of dispute resolution to my clients, one that often delivers faster, less stressful outcomes.
As a strong advocate for the power of mediation, I believe in ensuring all of my clients throughout New York can access flexible mediation opportunities based on their specific needs. In recent years, this has prompted me to increase the in-person mediation sessions I offer clients from my Jericho county office, with the option for virtual sessions, hosted via channels like Zoom.
By offering access to virtual mediation sessions, I can provide my clients with more freedom to customize their legal journey to accommodate their specific requirements. Even if your home in Manhattan is too far from my office in Jericho County to allow for a convenient commute, you can still access my help from the comfort of your own home.
My virtual mediation sessions have already offered various couples an opportunity to comfortably resolve issues with their soon-to-be ex-partner from a location that suits them. What’s more, I also offer the option to combine virtual and in-person mediation sessions, to suit your specific needs.
Comprehensive Solutions for Manhattan Mediation
Flexibility with in-person and virtual mediation sessions is just one of the ways I cater to the diverse needs of clients from the Manhattan region. As any legal professional knows, every divorce case and couple is different. As such, I embrace a range of strategies and methodologies to suit the specific requirements of each client I serve.
My office is committed to offering a comprehensive service, addressing every part of the mediation journey in full, from initial negotiations to final agreements, ready to be e-filed with the right court rooms. I also use various methods to support negotiations in mediation, such as:
- Facilitative mediation: Intended to improve the chances of longer-lasting resolutions, facilitative mediation sessions concentrate on encouraging valuable communication between clients. Using various methods, such as open-ended questions, I work to ensure each individual has a platform where they can talk through their concerns, explore potential solutions, and address common issues.
- Evaluative mediation: My experience in both family law and mediation means I can bring a unique perspective to evaluative mediation. I can use by experience to examine the strengths and weaknesses of each case presented by my clients, helping them to see the challenges and opportunities they may face in a legal setting. This can help to reduce the risk of agreements not being approved by the relevant courts.
- Interest-based negotiation: Each party comes to a divorce mediation process with their own interests, priorities, and goals in mind. An interest-based approach to negotiation ensures both parties can identify their needs and requirements as comprehensively as possible. This helps to set the stage for effective discussions, and the exploration of opportunities that work effectively for both clients.
Many cases will require the use of a combination of different methods and approaches, all of which can be tailored to objectively suit the needs of my Manhattan-based clients.
Your Dedicated Manhattan Divorce Mediator
Years of working as both a family law attorney and mediator have strengthened my belief that mediation can offer a valuable form of dispute resolution to clients from all walks of life. However, I also know that mediation can come with its own challenges to overcome. Choosing a reputable Manhattan divorce mediator to guide you through the process is essential.
As a resident of New York myself, with a long-standing relationship with the region, I strive to offer my Manhattan-based clients the experience and professionalism, and support they deserve. If you believe mediation might be the right way to approach your divorce, contact my office today.
You can arrange an initial consultation with yourself and your partner via my online contact form, or by reaching out to my team over the phone. We look forward to hearing from you.