You’re not looking for a drawn-out legal battle. You want this resolved so you can move forward with your life.
Mediation gets you there in half the time and at a fraction of the cost. Most couples spend $3,000 to $7,000 total through mediation. Compare that to $15,000 to $30,000 per person in traditional divorce litigation. You’ll reach a final agreement in as little as six months instead of waiting up to 19 months for a court date.
The real difference shows up later. Mediated agreements have an 85% compliance rate because both people helped create them. Court orders? Only 65%. When you’re part of the solution, you’re more likely to follow through.
You also maintain control over the outcome. No judge deciding your parenting plan. No courtroom drama in front of strangers. Just two people working through the hard stuff with a trained mediator who knows family law and knows how to keep things moving.
We’ve spent more than 11 years helping families in Orange County navigate divorce, custody disputes, and post-judgment modifications. We’re not new to this. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t.
Our mediators are trained in both conflict resolution and family law. That means you’re getting legal guidance without the adversarial approach. We stay neutral, but we’re not passive—we keep the process moving and make sure both sides understand their rights and obligations.
Smeltzer families face the same pressures as the rest of Orange County: rising costs, court backlogs, and the emotional toll of family conflict. California courts are more backlogged than ever, which is why mediation has become the preferred path for most divorcing couples. We help you skip the wait and get to resolution faster.
First, you’ll schedule a free consultation. We’ll talk through your situation, answer your questions, and explain how mediation applies to your case. No pressure. No sales pitch.
If you decide to move forward, we’ll schedule your first mediation session. Both parties meet with the mediator in a neutral, private setting. We go over the issues—custody, finances, property, support—and start working through them one at a time. You control the pace.
Most cases take three to five sessions depending on complexity. Each session builds on the last. We help you identify areas of agreement, work through sticking points, and draft a plan that reflects what you both want for your family.
Once you reach an agreement, we prepare the legal documents. You’ll review everything with your own attorney if you choose. Then the agreement gets filed with the court. It’s legally binding, comprehensive, and designed to last.
The whole process is confidential. What’s said in mediation stays in mediation. That privacy allows for honest conversation and creative problem-solving you won’t get in a courtroom.
Ready to get started?
You’re not just getting a mediator. You’re getting access to a full support system designed to handle complex family disputes.
Our flat-fee pricing model means no surprise bills. You’ll know exactly what you’re paying upfront. That transparency matters when you’re already dealing with financial stress. We also bring in other professionals when needed—forensic accountants, child psychologists, property appraisers—to make sure you have the information you need to make informed decisions.
We handle divorce mediation, child custody and parenting plans, spousal and child support modifications, property division, and post-judgment disputes. If your situation involves a family business, we can mediate those issues too. Family business mediation requires a different approach, and we’ve worked with enough local families to understand the nuances.
California law increasingly favors mediation, especially in custody cases. Some counties now require mediation before you can even get a court hearing. That shift reflects what families already know: mediation works better. It’s faster, cheaper, and less damaging to relationships you’ll need to maintain for co-parenting.
In Smeltzer and throughout Orange County, we’ve helped families create parenting plans that actually fit their schedules and priorities. We’ve guided couples through amicable settlements that preserve dignity and reduce conflict. And we’ve done it without the emotional and financial destruction of litigation.
Mediation typically costs between $3,000 and $7,000 total for both parties. That’s the full process from start to finish.
Traditional divorce litigation runs $15,000 to $30,000 per person. That’s per person, not total. If your case drags on or gets contentious, costs can climb into six figures. Court cases also take longer—up to 19 months compared to six months or less for mediation.
The cost difference comes down to efficiency. In mediation, you’re working together to solve problems. In court, you’re paying attorneys to fight on your behalf. Every motion, every hearing, every back-and-forth email adds to the bill. Mediation cuts out most of that waste.
You don’t need to agree on everything to start mediation. You just need to be willing to talk.
Our job is to help you find common ground and work through the disagreements. Most couples come in thinking they’re miles apart, but once you start breaking down the issues, you often find more agreement than you expected. Even in high-conflict situations, mediation succeeds 70% to 80% of the time.
That said, mediation won’t work if one person refuses to participate in good faith or if there’s a history of domestic violence that makes fair negotiation impossible. In those cases, court may be the better option. But for most families, even those with serious disagreements, mediation provides a path forward that litigation simply can’t match.
A good parenting plan starts with your kids’ needs, not your frustrations with each other. We focus on schedules, decision-making, holidays, and how you’ll handle changes as your children grow.
The plan needs to be specific enough to prevent confusion but flexible enough to adapt. We’ll map out custody schedules, outline how you’ll communicate about school and medical decisions, and establish protocols for resolving future disputes. The goal is to reduce conflict and give your kids stability.
Mediated parenting plans have higher compliance rates because both parents helped create them. When you’re part of the process, you’re more invested in making it work. We also build in communication coaching when needed to help you develop the skills for effective co-parenting. That’s something you won’t get from a judge’s order.
Life changes. Kids get older, jobs change, people move. Your agreement can be modified through post-judgment mediation.
If both parties agree to the change, we can mediate a modification and file the updated agreement with the court. It’s much faster and cheaper than going back to court for a formal modification hearing. Common reasons for modifications include changes in income, relocation, changes in a child’s needs, or adjustments to custody schedules.
California courts generally approve modifications when both parents agree and the change serves the children’s best interests. Post-judgment mediation gives you the same control and cost savings as the original process. You’re not starting from scratch—you’re adjusting an existing framework to fit your current reality.
The mediator can’t give you legal advice. We stay neutral and help facilitate the conversation, but we don’t represent either party.
Many people choose to consult with their own attorney before signing the final agreement. That’s smart. Your attorney can review the terms, explain how they affect your rights, and make sure you understand what you’re agreeing to. Some people have an attorney on standby throughout the process for occasional questions.
You don’t need an attorney in the room during mediation sessions, and you won’t be paying for two attorneys to battle it out. But having someone review the final agreement gives you peace of mind that you’re making an informed decision. Our mediators are trained in family law and will make sure the agreement is legally sound, but independent legal advice protects your interests.
Most cases resolve in three to five sessions spread over a few months. Simpler cases with fewer assets and no custody disputes can finish faster. Complex cases involving business valuations or contentious custody issues may take longer.
Each session typically lasts two to three hours. You schedule them at your own pace based on your availability, not the court’s calendar. Once you reach an agreement, we prepare the paperwork and file it with the court. From there, California has a mandatory six-month waiting period before a divorce is finalized.
Total timeline from your first session to final dissolution usually runs six to nine months. Compare that to litigation, which averages 15 to 19 months and often stretches longer if the case goes to trial. Mediation keeps things moving because you’re in control of the schedule and the decisions.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Here are some lawyer-related links:
Other Services we provide in Smeltzer
