Divorce & Family Law Mediation Services
Mediation is the process in which you and the other party (spouse) can work together to reach resolution resolution of your family law issues (divorce, custody, support, parentage, etc.) while avoiding the costs - emotionally and financially - of litigation. If the two of you can work together, then , mediation is very likely a viable option for you.
Many people are unaware there are family law attorneys that serve as mediators for pro per, self-represented parties, in order to help them formalize their settlement while assisting them in meeting procedural requirements.
The process is a very different experience than litigation - the parties are encouraged to work together to reach a mutually agreeable resolution while guided by mediator through the procedural requirements that often cause distress and confusion for self-represented parties.
The experience in working with a mediator is fundamentally different than when you hire an attorney in the traditional sense, as the attorney mediator does not represent you or your spouse/former spouse. Instead the mediator is retained by the two of you jointly and thereby is not able to advocate, or take a side, for either of you. The mediator acts as an intermediary to help you and your spouse/former spouse to come to a resolution and prepare the formal agreement for your approval.
General Family Law Principles and Terms
Divorce
Divorce can be a complicated legal process by which formalizes the conclusion of your marital relationship. In doing so it is necessary that you work with someone that is ready and able to help you to properly and accurately address the division of your assets and debts while advocating for you.
Child Custody & Parenting Time
As with many of us, the relationship and time with our children is one of the most important aspects of our life. It is important for our children to have a close and nurturing relationship with healthy parents. If it is not possible to come to a reasonable agreement to promote the best interests of your children then it will be necessary to seek a ruling from the court. In doing so the court will make a ruling as to legal custody (who makes decisions) and how much time the child(ren) spend with each parent.
Child Support
Child support is a necessary and related aspect to any situation involving children, unless the parents otherwise agree. Anytime where child custody/parenting time is at issue child support will need to be addressed. Generally the obligation to pay child support ends when a child turns 18 years of age (or 20 years if they are still enrolled full-time in high school)
Spousal Support (Alimony)
When there is a divorce before the court they also have the ability to make orders for spousal support (alimony). In deciding how much spousal support to order the court will look to the need of the party receiving support as well as the ability to pay of the party paying support. The goal of spousal support is to help the party receiving it to transition/re-enter the workforce and have the financial ability to set up an independent household.
Property Division
Under the law in Oklahoma the property (assets or debts) earned or acquired during the marriage, “marital property”, is to be divided equitably. This includes assets/property of which was acquired by labor or through funds earned during the marriage. Legally it does not matter who holds title to the property, but the source of the funding for the property.
Equitable division does not mean “equal” for the purpose of division, it means a fair division in terms of value. There is no specific fixed way to determine, rather factors for the court to consider of which include the nature and extent of the property, duration of the marriage and the economic circumstances of the each spouse. If a spouse can establish that an asset/property was owned prior to marriage then they can seek a credit for all or partial value of that property.