FL Pro se Divorce Law – Miami, Florida – Do-it-Yourself Divorce
South Florida PRO SE DIVORCE MEDIATION
The Florida family law office of Michael L. Lechtman, P.A., provides Florida pro se divorce mediation services. Certified Florida divorce mediator Michael Lechtman is a certified Florida divorce mediator who wants you to know some things about Florida pro se divorce that other divorce attorneys want to keep secret. A Florida pro se divorce can save you many thousands of dollars over typical divorce court litigation. Please continue to read this page for more information about Florida pro se divorce. Please also visit our Florida divorce mediator page on this website.
What is Florida pro se divorce mediation? Florida pro se divorce mediation is a new concept in family law where a certified Florida divorce mediator, who is usually a family law attorney, takes off the lawyer hat and puts on the Florida divorce mediator hat and sits with both husband and wife for a two or three session pro se mediation during which the parties attempt to resolve all divorce issues amicably. These issues can include the divorce itself, child custody, child support, joint custody, shared parental responsibility, visitation, alimony, asset division, debt allocation, pension division, and all other personal and real property issues that could come up in a divorce case.
The Florida divorce mediator acts not as an attorney, but as a neutral mediator, or intermediary. Both the husband and wife are present for each session. Complete financial disclosure is provided to the mediator and then all issues are discussed together until a marital settlement agreement is achieved during divorce mediation. At that point, the mediator draws up all of the necessary divorce documents, including the marital settlement agreement. These documents include the petition, answer, financial affidavits, child support guidelines and child support guideline worksheets, court docketing sheets, marital settlement agreement, final judgments, filing instructions, directions to the courthouse, and the notice of final hearing. Once the settlement agreement is achieved and signed, the pro se family mediator prepares all of these documents for signature by the parties. Then the parties themselves take the documents to the courthouse for filing. The family law clerk will assign a final hearing date before a judge, and the parties will appear before the judge who will incorporate the marital settlement agreement into the final judgment. The case is then completed and the parties are divorced.
Since the pro se mediator is not acting as an attorney, he can give no legal advice. However, the mediator can provide both husband and wife with copies of the relevant law on each topic so that they can either make their own decisions, or take a proposed, unsigned marital settlement agreement to another attorney for a fast and inexpensive review of the proposed marital settlement agreement before they sign it.
The attorneys fees and costs involved are usually much less than what the parties would pay in a normal divorce case because the parties share the fee. The total attorney fee for a typical pro se divorce mediation, even one involving children and property, is approximately $1,600, or about $800, on average for each spouse, including pro se forms. This is a fantastic savings in attorneys fees for people involved in a divorce.
Divorce mediators in South Florida want you to know that pro se representation and pro se family mediation can work in all types of divorce cases, but it is best suited for cases where the husband and the wife still have good communication with each other. If the husband and wife are willing to resolve their marital problems on their own, the time and money that each spouse will save is enormous, and they can achieve their divorce and all related issues without fighting, stress, or war.
Everyone contemplating a divorce, regardless of the complexity of their issues, should first consider whether or not they could resolve their case by using pro se divorce mediation.
If you are interested in learning more about Florida pro se divorce or Florida divorce mediator services, contact the North Miami Beach law office of Michael L. Lechtman, P.A., for a complimentary consultation.
Michael L. Lechtman, P.A., offers comprehensive legal representation for residents of the South Florida region, including communities such as Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Aventura, Palm Beach, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Hollywood, Hialeah, Medley, Sweetwater, Doral, Pembroke Pines, Sunni Isles, Miami Shores, Miami Lakes, Opa-Locka, Carol City, Dazie, Cooper City, Plantation, and Coral Gables, Florida, in Dade County and Broward County, FL.
