Not every divorce or parentage case needs to be a contentious or expensive litigation process.  In fact, alternative dispute resolution techniques, such as mediation, can help you resolve your divorce or custody case quickly and inexpensively with the help of a trained and certified family law mediator.  In mediation, the parties meet face to face in a neutral setting with an unbiased mediator, who does not represent either of the parties.

During these sessions, the parties attempt to reach an agreement on all pending issues, whether it is parental responsibilities, parenting time, support, and/or division of property.  Pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court rules, everything discussed in mediation is confidential, which allows the parties to negotiate in good faith without worrying that agreements they discuss in mediation will be used against them in Court if the case ultimately becomes contested.

Many Illinois Courts have found mediation so useful in parenting cases that mediation is court-mandated when you have children.  In local jurisdictions, such as Madison, St. Clair, Bond, Macoupin and more, you have to complete mediation for up to four (4) hours if you cannot otherwise agree to your own parenting plan.  Absent emergency situations, the Court will not hold a hearing on custody issues until those 4 hours are complete.

Kristen became a trained and certified mediator in January 2017, focusing her mediation cases on family law cases only.  Her approach is focused on helping parents mitigate conflict and providing tools for resolving disputes, both in the mediation room and after they leave.  As such, she has a great deal of success helping parties resolve their custody and parenting disputes in a mediation setting, which leads to parties being more satisfied with their agreements.

If you are interested in mediation and conflict resolution strategies to help your case, contact Strieker Law Firm, LLC today.