You walk away with a legally sound agreement that actually works for your family. No more wondering if you made the right choice or if you’ll end up back in court next year fighting over the same issues.
Your children see parents who can still communicate respectfully. Your bank account isn’t drained by attorney fees that could have gone toward your kids’ college fund or your fresh start.
The stress lifts because you controlled the process instead of letting a stranger in a robe decide your family’s fate. You have clarity on custody, support, and property division that makes sense for your actual situation—not some cookie-cutter court order.
Level Dispute Resolution brings certified family law specialists to Frances families who want to divorce without the warfare. We’ve helped Orange County couples reach agreements that stick, using our legal expertise and communication skills to guide you through this transition.
We’re not here to take sides or make your decisions for you. We create the safe, neutral space where both of you can be heard and work toward solutions that reflect your family’s unique needs.
Frances families choose us because we understand that how you divorce matters as much as why you’re divorcing. Our transparent flat-fee pricing means no surprises, and our process prioritizes your children’s wellbeing above all else.
We start with a free consultation where we explain the mediation process and discuss your specific situation. No pressure, just information so you can make the right choice for your family.
During joint mediation sessions, we facilitate discussions between you and your spouse about custody, support, and property division. We help you explore options and work toward agreements that both of you can live with.
Once you’ve reached agreements on all issues, we draft a comprehensive settlement agreement that becomes part of your divorce decree. You get a legally binding document that’s designed to prevent future conflicts and costly returns to court.
The entire process typically takes weeks, not months or years. You maintain control throughout, and you never have to set foot in a courtroom.
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Our mediation services cover all aspects of your divorce: child custody and visitation schedules, child and spousal support calculations, and division of assets and debts. We also handle post-judgment modifications when life circumstances change.
Frances sits in the heart of Orange County, where the average contested divorce costs over $15,000 per person and can drag on for 19 months. Our clients typically resolve their cases in under six months for a fraction of that cost.
We work with a team of professionals including forensic accountants and appraisers when complex financial issues arise. This means you get expert input on business valuations, retirement account divisions, and other complicated matters without the markup you’d pay through traditional litigation.
Our confidential process keeps your private matters out of public court records, something particularly important for Frances professionals and business owners who value their privacy.
We use a transparent flat-fee pricing model, so you know exactly what you’ll pay upfront with no hidden costs or hourly billing surprises. Most of our Frances clients pay between $2,000 to $5,000 total for complete mediation services, compared to the $15,000 to $30,000 each spouse typically spends on traditional litigation.
The exact cost depends on the complexity of your case and how many sessions you need to reach agreements. We’ll discuss pricing during your free consultation so you can make an informed decision about whether mediation makes financial sense for your situation.
Most couples don’t agree on everything when they start mediation—that’s completely normal and expected. Our role is to help you work through disagreements by exploring different options and finding creative solutions that meet both of your core needs.
If you reach agreements on some issues but not others, we can draft a partial agreement covering the resolved matters. You can then take the remaining disputed issues to court, which still saves you significant time and money compared to litigating everything.
In rare cases where mediation doesn’t work at all, you haven’t lost anything except the mediation fee, and you can proceed with traditional divorce litigation. However, most of our Frances clients find that mediation helps them resolve their differences once they have a neutral facilitator helping them communicate effectively.
Most of our Frances clients complete mediation within 6-8 weeks, though some complex cases may take a few months. This is significantly faster than traditional litigation, which averages 19 months in Orange County.
The timeline depends on several factors: how quickly you can gather necessary financial documents, how many issues you need to resolve, and how well you and your spouse can communicate and compromise. California law requires a six-month waiting period from filing to finalization, but mediation allows you to use that time productively to reach agreements rather than fighting in court.
We work around your schedule, not the court’s calendar, which means we can move as quickly or slowly as makes sense for your family’s situation.
Absolutely. In fact, mediation is often the best choice for parents because it allows you to create customized parenting plans that reflect your children’s actual needs and your family’s unique circumstances.
We help you work through custody schedules, decision-making responsibilities, holiday arrangements, and communication guidelines. Our approach focuses on your children’s wellbeing and helps you build a foundation for effective co-parenting after divorce.
California law actually requires mediation for contested custody issues, but private mediation like ours gives you more time and flexibility than court-ordered mediation. We can address not just custody and visitation, but also child support calculations and how you’ll handle future changes as your children grow.
Life changes, and sometimes divorce agreements need to change too. We provide post-judgment mediation services to help you modify custody arrangements, support orders, or other terms when circumstances warrant it.
This is much more cost-effective and less stressful than going back to court every time you need an adjustment. Many of our Frances clients return to us years later when they need to modify agreements due to job changes, relocations, or changes in their children’s needs.
Having used mediation for your original divorce often makes future modifications smoother because you’ve already established a pattern of working together to solve problems rather than fighting them out in court.
While you’re not required to have an attorney during mediation, many of our Frances clients choose to consult with independent lawyers for advice throughout the process. This is actually a smart approach—you get the cost savings and control of mediation plus the security of legal advice.
As your mediators, we can’t provide legal advice to either party since we remain neutral. However, we can provide legal information about California divorce law and help you understand your options so you can make informed decisions.
We encourage you to have any final agreement reviewed by an attorney before signing. This gives you confidence that the agreement protects your interests and complies with California law, while still maintaining the collaborative spirit and cost savings of mediation.
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