You’re done in six months instead of battling for two years. Your bank account isn’t decimated by legal fees. Your kids aren’t caught in the crossfire of a courtroom war.
Most importantly, you and your ex can actually communicate about the children without it turning into World War III. You’ve got a clear agreement everyone can live with, and you can move forward knowing you handled this the right way.
That’s what mediation gets you – a divorce that doesn’t destroy everything you’ve built or traumatize the people who matter most.
Level Dispute Resolution isn’t a general practice law firm that dabbles in mediation. We’re mediation specialists who’ve made this our entire focus because we’ve seen what litigation does to families.
Our mediators are expertly trained in family law and understand the unique dynamics of Orange County families. We’ve been helping Ocean View couples resolve their divorces without stepping foot in a courtroom, and we know exactly what works in this community.
We chose mediation because it actually solves problems instead of creating more of them. No surprises, no billing games, no drawn-out court battles that benefit everyone except your family.
First, we meet to understand your situation and what you want to accomplish. No legal jargon, no intimidation tactics – just a straightforward conversation about your goals and concerns.
Next, we facilitate discussions between you and your spouse about the key issues: custody arrangements, financial support, and dividing your assets. We’re not here to take sides or make decisions for you. We’re here to make sure both voices are heard and help you find solutions that actually work.
Finally, we draft your settlement agreement and handle all the paperwork to make it official. You get a legally binding resolution without the courtroom drama, and you can start your next chapter knowing everything is handled properly.
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You get comprehensive mediation covering child custody and visitation schedules, spousal support arrangements, and fair division of all marital assets and debts. We also handle post-divorce modifications when circumstances change.
In Ocean View, we understand the unique pressures families face – from housing costs to job market changes that affect support calculations. We factor in local economic realities when helping you craft agreements that make sense for your specific situation.
Our flat-fee structure means you know exactly what you’re paying upfront. No hourly billing that incentivizes dragging things out. No surprise charges for phone calls or document reviews. Just transparent pricing that lets you budget for your divorce without financial anxiety.
Mediation typically costs between $2,000 to $5,000 total, while a contested divorce through litigation averages $15,000 to $30,000 according to recent industry data. The difference comes down to time and complexity.
In mediation, you’re sharing the cost of one neutral mediator instead of each spouse paying separate attorneys to fight it out. You’re also avoiding court fees, depositions, discovery costs, and all the other expenses that pile up during litigation.
More importantly, mediation usually wraps up in 6 months compared to 19 months for contested court cases. Less time means less money, and you can actually get on with your life instead of being stuck in legal limbo for nearly two years.
Actually, couples who “can’t agree on anything” often do better in mediation than you’d expect. The problem usually isn’t that you’re incompatible – it’s that you’re not communicating effectively about what really matters to each of you.
A skilled mediator helps you get past the surface-level arguments and figure out what you’re actually trying to accomplish. Often, once both people feel heard and understood, the practical solutions become much clearer.
That said, mediation requires both parties to participate in good faith. If one spouse is completely unwilling to compromise or engage in the process, then mediation won’t work. But most couples who are genuinely concerned about their children’s wellbeing and want to avoid a destructive court battle can find common ground with the right guidance.
Child custody and support are actually where mediation shines brightest because you can create arrangements that truly work for your family instead of accepting whatever a judge decides after a brief hearing.
We help you develop a comprehensive parenting plan that covers where the children live, how you’ll handle holidays and vacations, and how you’ll make important decisions about education, healthcare, and activities. The goal is creating stability and predictability for your kids while respecting both parents’ relationships with them.
For support calculations, we use California’s established guidelines but can discuss how to handle the practical aspects – like who pays for extracurriculars or how you’ll manage medical expenses. The key is creating agreements you can both live with long-term, because you’ll be co-parenting these children for years to come.
If you can’t reach a complete agreement, you haven’t wasted your time or money. Mediation often resolves most issues even when it doesn’t solve everything, which means any remaining court proceedings will be much more focused and less expensive.
You also have the option to try again later or switch to collaborative divorce, where you each have attorneys but still work together outside of court. Many couples find that taking a break from mediation and coming back with fresh perspective helps them get unstuck.
The important thing to understand is that mediation is completely voluntary. If it’s not working, you can stop at any time and pursue other options. But given that mediation has a success rate of over 70% nationwide, most couples who enter the process in good faith do find a way to reach agreement.
Most couples complete mediation within 2-6 months, depending on the complexity of their situation and how well they can work together. Simple cases with minimal assets and straightforward custody arrangements often wrap up in just a few sessions.
More complex situations – like those involving business valuations, significant assets, or detailed custody arrangements – may take longer but still typically finish within six months. Compare that to contested litigation, which averages 19 months and can drag on much longer.
The timeline really depends on you and your spouse. If you’re both committed to the process and willing to be reasonable, things move quickly. If one person keeps changing their mind or introducing new demands, it takes longer. But even in challenging cases, mediation is almost always faster than court.
Yes, mediation is completely confidential by law in California. Nothing you say during our mediation sessions can be used against you later in court if mediation doesn’t work out. This confidentiality is crucial because it allows both parties to speak openly about their concerns and explore creative solutions.
This is completely different from court proceedings, which become public record. Anyone can access court files and see the details of your financial situation, custody disputes, and personal matters. With mediation, those details stay private.
The only exception is if we discover evidence of child abuse or if someone threatens violence – we are required to report those situations. But normal divorce discussions, financial disclosures, and custody negotiations remain completely confidential, giving you the freedom to work through issues without worrying about public exposure.
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