Family Law Mediation Services for West Michigan

Family law disputes like divorce and custody contests strike at the heart of what you hold most dear. Conflict over family matters is never easy, and taking these personal disputes to court may only fuel the fire. If your goal is to resolve family law disputes with a minimum of hostility and a maximum of control over the outcome, mediation might be right for you.

What is Family Law Mediation?

In family law mediation, you and your spouse, ex-spouse, or other family member meet together with a trained, neutral mediator. The neutral mediator's job is not to “decide” your case but to help you and the other party identify the issues and facilitate your reaching resolutions you can both live with. When you reach an agreement, the mediator draws up a settlement document that can be used to create a court order.

You may go through mediation with or without the help of attorneys, and you may enter the process before or after a lawsuit is filed. Advantages of mediation include:

• Parties have greater control over the process and the outcome.
• Mediation promotes cooperation – especially important if you will continue to have to deal with the other party when your case is over, such as when you're co-parenting.
• Mediation is usually quicker than fighting in court.
• Mediation is usually less expensive than litigation.
• Mediation may be less stressful than litigation for both parents and children.

Plachta, Murphy & Associates offers the services of skilled, well-trained mediators with over 20 years of family law experience for parties dealing with a Michigan family law dispute. We understand how much your family means to you, and are committed to helping you resolve your current disputes so you can move forward with your life.

We invite you to contact Plachta, Murphy & Associates to schedule an initial consultation with a member of our Family Law Solutions team. We look forward to answering your questions about Michigan family law mediation and assisting you.

Family Law Solutions Team: Miles J. Murphy III, Bryan D. Reeder, Vicki A. Poleni, MSW