Mediation and Collaborative Law

Avoid Litigation in Your Kansas Divorce

Mediation and Collaborative Family Law

In family law cases, litigation is not only expensive - it is often destructive to future relationships, and I use it as a last resort. The law firm of Jean W. Wise, Attorney at Law offers both mediation services and collaborative law representation as alternatives to costly and bitter litigation.

In my experience, the best solutions are often those where the participants have worked together to resolve their concerns and both have a stake in making their plan succeed. I represent clients throughout Johnson County, Kansas (the Kansas City metro area), offering 14 years of experience.

Mediation
In mediation, I act as a neutral third party to help divorcing couples and parents develop solutions that everyone can live with. With a mediator, they can work through the inevitable disagreements to produce a settlement regarding marital assets, child custody, parenting time and other issues.

Mediating is:

• Flexible - no court dates
• Cost-effective - lower legal fees (one lawyer instead of two)
• Amicable - emphasizes resolution over escalation of conflicts
• Empowering - participants control the process and make the decision, instead of a judge

Mediation is not for everyone. It does not work well if one person dominates the relationship and is not willing to compromise.

Collaborative Law
A newer method of alternative dispute resolution is collaborative law. In this process, each party retains his or her own counsel, the participants and their attorneys sign an agreement of their intent not to litigate, and all negotiations are conducted with both parties and their attorneys present. Without the threat of a court battle, all parties can work toward mutual agreement, reducing animosity and legal fees. If talks break down and the parties must go to court, the collaborative attorneys cannot represent them in litigation - each must hire another lawyer.

If you think mediation or collaborative law could work for you, e-mail Jean W. Wise, Attorney at Law or call (913) 345-9473 to discuss your situation. I can arrange evening and weekend appointments, and I accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.