Atlanta Mediation & Family Law Services
In her mediation practice, Ashley McCartney applies her almost two decades of experience in Metro-Atlanta divorce and family law as a registered mediator to help parties resolve their family law case without the need to have a Judge or jury decide the issues for them. Mediation allows parties to have control over what happens with their family in a divorce or other family law case. If you are looking for an experienced family law mediator, please contact us today or view our calendar for availability.
Benefits Of Mediation
The main benefit of mediation is the parties’ ability to control the outcome of their divorce or other family law case, whether the issue is child support, parenting time, custody, division of property or other family law issues. Once you enter a courtroom, the parties lose control of the outcome and place their family’s future in the hands of a stranger-the Judge or jury.
Another benefit of mediation is the difference in cost between a trial and mediation. Trials can cost tens of thousands of dollars, while mediation is much less. Typically, family law cases take between 4-6 hours to mediate, whereas a trial can take days, not to mention the time for preparation of testimony, evidence, witnesses and other considerations that go into trial preparation. Of course, some family law cases are more complex and may require more than the typical amount of time for mediation, while others may be more straightforward and able resolve more quickly in mediation.
Mediation can help preserve the relationship between the parties, allowing a better chance of successfully co-parenting once the case is over. Litigation can, and usually does, cause more of a strain on the parties’ relationship and their children, making it more difficult to move forward when the case is all said and done.
The role of a mediator is to be neutral in facilitating settlement negotiations between the parties. The mediator does not take sides and does not represent the interests of either party. Mediation is confidential. With very few exceptions, the Judge will never know what was said in mediation. You can and should be open, honest and creative when trying to resolve your case in mediation.
Mediation can result in a full and final resolution of your family law matter. It may also result in a partial agreement, which will narrow the issues the Court has to address at the final hearing, making the cost of litigation less. Mediation may also result in a temporary agreement, which can help you get through the pending case with more predictability and less stress. Of course, there are some cases that simply cannot resolve in mediation, resulting in an impasse.
Most Metro-Atlanta counties require all domestic law cases to attend mediation. That does not mean you have to settle your case. It means you are ordered by the family law Judge to attend the mediation in good faith. Metro-Atlanta family courts would rather you at least try and resolve your family law issues because you are in a better position to know your family’s dynamics and needs.
Some parties opt to mediate prior to filing a divorce or family law case and sometimes even prior to retaining a family law attorney. This can be beneficial to avoid court-imposed deadlines and rules, especially if the parties are close to agreement, but need some help getting to the finish line of resolving their issues.
Whether you have been ordered by the Court to mediate or chose to mediate on your own, Ashley McCartney will use her vast experience to help facilitate a resolution to your family law or divorce matter. Contact us today or view our calendar for availability.
Rates And Policies
Ashley McCartney charges $225.00 per hour and the parties are expected to split the cost of mediation at its conclusion. Because many family law cases take most of the day, Ashley generally schedules one mediation per day beginning at 10 a.m. Some cases can be scheduled for the afternoon if the issues are non-complex, at her discretion.
Generally, Ashley provides mediation via Zoom. That way the parties can be in the comfort of their own home or their attorney’s office, without the need to find the courthouse, park and risk running into the other party. Ashley is registered as a domestic mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution and can mediate cases throughout the State of Georgia, regardless of the County.
When booking a mediation, please set aside an entire day and make arrangements for childcare or other issues that may pop up during the workday. Sometimes things happen causing a need for the mediation to be cancelled. Please provide at least 48 hours’ notice of cancellation. A cancellation within 48 hours is subject to a 2 hour ($450.00) cancellation fee to the cancelling party.
Book A Mediation Appointment
To schedule a time to talk about mediation, please use the appointment calendar below.