Divorce Statistics in America as of December 2011
First marriage is 41%
Second marriage is 60%
Third marriage is 73%
Age at marriage for those who divorce in America
| Age |
Women |
Men |
| Under 20 |
27.6% |
11.7% |
| 20 to 24 |
36.6% |
38.8% |
| 25 to 29 |
16.4% |
22.3% |
| 30 to 34 |
8.5% |
11.6% |
| 35 to 39 |
5.1% |
6.5% |
Statistics from divorcerate.org.
Ms. Stevenson provides her clients with an array of alternative legal services. For example, for those with limited resources, she can provide "limited scope representation", which limits her representation to advice and preparation of documents, representation at a specific court hearing, review of documents, or any combination thereof. In addition, clients now have choices about the legal processes they invoke to resolve their family law disputes. Traditionally, clients have worked their way through the judicial system to resolve these very personal issues only to have a judge decide their family’s future. The degree of hostility and contentiousness involved in a traditionally litigated case varies, but it usually increased even in the best of cases, simply because of the adversarial nature of the process. Therefore, Ms. Stevenson urges potential clients to carefully and seriously consider whether one of the following alternatives to litigation would be viable in their case.
Mediation
In mediation, the parties meet with a neutral third party who is trained in the law pertaining to the relevant legal issues, with the goal of arriving at a mutually acceptable resolution. It is often cost-effective, as there is usually only one attorney-mediator involved, although the parties are urged to seek advice from independent legal counsel prior to signing a settlement agreement. They may also choose to consult with independent counsel during the mediation process.
Ms. Stevenson is a trained and experienced family law mediator, and she can provide confidential mediation services in divorce and legal separation cases. During this process, she can prepare and file all documents necessary to obtain a judgment of dissolution or legal separation. Please not that if mediation is desired, both parties must be present for the initial consultation.
Ms. Stevenson also provides independent advice and/or representation to parties participating in mediation with another mediator. This ranges from simply meeting with a client to prepare for mediation, to meeting with a client at the end of the process to review the Marital Settlement Agreement, to advising assisting a client throughout the entire mediation process.
Collaborative Negotiation
Collaborative negotiation is a dispute resolution process where a team of professionals works with the parties to help them:
- Identify their interests and priorities
- Gather information and make decisions
- Brainstorm options for resolution
- Evaluate consequences of various options
- Negotiation to resolution
If the process is terminated by either party, the professionals withdraw and do not participate in subsequent litigation. The process is confidential, and the participating professionals cannot be subpoenaed. Their work product, other than the disclosure forms and source documents, is inadmissible in subsequent litigation.
The team of professionals may include some or all of the following: attorneys for each party; divorce coaches to assist the parties in effective communication; a child specialist to help parents understand their children’s needs and interests; and a financial specialist to assist the couple with financial issues. While this can seem overwhelming, the team approach allows a couple to gain the most value for their dollar by pulling in specialists for each particular aspect of a divorce or separation.
This process is suitable for those who share the following values:
- Protection of children from the conflict of divorce
- Honoring the good parts of the relationship
- Learning new skills needed for effective co-parenting
- Autonomy and self-determination
- Privacy of financial and personal information
And those who face the following challenges:
- A disparity in experience negotiating
- A disparity in understanding family finances
- A history of ineffective communication
- Overwhelming emotions about the end of the relationship
- A need for legal and psychological support when in the presence of the other party
Sacramento Collaborative Practice Group Documents
Ms. Stevenson would be happy to discuss with you in a scheduled consultation whether one of these alternative dispute resolution processes would be appropriate for your particular situation.
Dispute Resolution