Mediation

You have legitimate concerns about trying to work out a settlement on your own, based simply on what you and your spouse are able to figure out about the issues to be covered. What if you leave something out? How well will your agreement work in practice and detail a year from now?

On the other hand, should you really take yourself out of direct decision making here?

Each marriage is unique. Husbands and wives often tell me that their special needs and concerns can get lost in litigation. Are you spending money to set yourself up for a trial? Here in Michigan, only 1.3% of all cases are “decided by the court.”

If your case merits this vigorous sort of battle, then I won't try to change your mind.

But if you aren't honestly looking for an adversarial process, recognize that it can take years to heal the damaging emotional and financial fall-out from pre-trial interactions. I see it all the time in my practice.

Mediation is completely voluntary

It's also a non-binding process.

So you can try it out, and if for any reason either of you wants to stop, it stops. Not only are you not held to any tentative agreements you may have been working on up to that point in process, but the courts are generally pretty reluctant to get involved with any of what has happened in your mediation attempts.

Mediation in the State of Michigan has been set up this way in order to to encourage you to try this proven and effective form of alternative dispute resolution.

What's the process like?

I work only for the two of you, as opposed to working for one of you or the other.

As the mediator for you both as a couple, I’m here to facilitate discussion, maintain solutions-oriented interaction, and help you generate positive options. It's not uncommon for one person to have more experience in this area or that, and thus maybe have a bit of a forceful impulse there.

Part of my job is to even out those things, to ensure you're both fully engaged and comfortable with the process leading up to any agreement coming out of this process.

Typically the two of you will meet with me in the same room, and you may have your attorneys sit in if you’d like (my clients also sometimes simply have them available by phone, to be called only if questions ore concerns arise). Alternatively, I can meet with each of you separately, if you prefer.

The two of you will set your own agenda within the approach we have here.

I can help you negotiate all sorts of things

For some of you, that may mean pre-separation items; for others, it’s just one or two sticking-point issues.

I work on comprehensive divorce agreements, which you can then take to your mediation-friendly lawyer for drafting into a Judgment of Divorce for the court. I also do post-judgment work, typically around parenting time and family business issues.

My professional training

I am professionally trained in domestic relations mediation through the Institute for Continuing Legal Education ("ICLE"), under the lead instruction of Forrest S. Mosten, J.D. My completed the domestic violence screening component and took further advanced training from the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, under Zena Zumeta, J.D.

This complies with the latest Michigan Court Rule 3.216, as approved by the State Court Administrator’s Office. I have worked with over 500+ individuals to date, both as couples and individually.

As a client, you can count on my training and experience for personal empathy from me, productive process, and an expert understanding of even the more complicated family asset division challenges.

Contact me today

If I can answer any questions or to discuss this further, please give me a call. Although these are very difficult circumstances under which to meet, know that you have my deepest admiration for considering this more peaceful approach to negotiating your settlement.

Respectfully,

Dell Deaton
Domestic Relations Mediator
Washtenaw County, Michigan

Ann Arbor / Saline

734.668.2001
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