Mediation / Collaborative Law

Lawyer Serving Collin County, Denton County, and More

For many couples needing solutions in family law, mediation or collaborative law works better than litigation. Litigation can be expensive, stressful, and drawn-out -- mediation and collaborative law are usually much less expensive, more amicable, and faster.

Since 1995, attorney Jimmy Ira Carter has been certified to handle family law mediation. He believes strongly that mediation allows people to take ownership of any family law issue, including:

• Divorce
• Child or spousal support
• Custody issues
• Property division

Most think of custody and children, but some special pets require the parents to work out custody schedules which can be customized creatively for your pet through mediation or collaborative law. Jimmy can answer any question you have -- contact us to set up an appointment. We help people throughout the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex, including Collin County, Denton County, Dallas County, and Tarrant County.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Both mediation and collaborative law are Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques that allow people to avoid the expense and stress of the court system. Both also are known for better follow-through, since both members of a couple have invested themselves in working together to find a compromise.

Mediation

In mediation, people meet with a mediator and try to work through an agreement. The mediator does not make decisions on your behalf -- he or she is there as an impartial go-between that tries to help both parties reach a consensus.

The first part of the mediation process is often to have experts make recommendations -- social workers must recommend a possible custody schedule, a financial expert will make support and property division recommendations, etc. These recommendations are not set in stone, but used as a template for later negotiations.

Then everyone meets: the couple and their lawyers, along with a mediator. You can have open mediation, in which everyone sits at a table together. You could also have a caucus set-up, in which the parties sit in separate rooms and a mediator travels back and forth.

Collaborative Law

Collaborative law is similar to mediation in that there is no arbiter or judge, and the people involved make the decisions together. But in collaborative law, there is a contract up front that determines that if you become unable to work together, your attorneys will be released and you will have to find new lawyers.

There are many other positive components available in collaborative law that are not found in mediation, For example, in collaborative law, you often bring experts into the circle to assist with budget planning, valuing estates, customizing schedules, etc. This is often ideal for high wage earners who have busy schedules and many special needs.

Contact Us

If you would like to find out whether you should go with mediation or collaborative law, contact us for a consultation with our experienced lawyer. Call us at (972) 385-3952 and you will either get through immediately or we will get back to you within 24 hours. We take all major credit cards, and can make evening and weekend consultations by appointment.