Non-Court Alternative:
The Civil Divorce

     For families dealing with separation or divorce, division of households is hard enough.  Add to that the expense of lawyers and stress of a long court process and you've got the perfect storm for financial and emotional devastation.
     Did you know that today, in Riverside County of all the family law cases active before the court, over 80% are cases where neither party is represented by a lawyer?  The recession has hit hard, and divorcing couples are struggling to represent themselves in court through "do it yourself" style divorces.  This is time consuming and confusing, and the family court is swelling with a backlog of cases because do-it-yourselfers don't understand how to get their cases to judgment and finalized.  
     The good news is, there's an alternative that gives families a faster process, guided by a family law professional.  The Civil Divorce is an affordable divorce process we've developed at Mediation Law Group.  The Civil Divorce is ideal for couples who can sit down together to work out a Marital Settlement Agreement, with the aid of a professional mediator, and without having to go to court.  

     Over the years I have been privileged to help many couples find their way to agreement, at less than one-third of the cost of a traditional court divorce, and in a fraction of the time.  The Civil Divorce gives parties control over the outcome of their case.  Why would you put your future, and that of your children, into the hands of a judge who doesn't know you? The Civil Divorce lets you decide on what's best for your future.
     Want more info on this affordable, less stressful process?  Email lstiles@mediationlawgroup.com and ask for the Civil Divorce fact sheet - it will be delivered right to your inbox and you can decide for yourself.

Peace at Any Price?

It's 4th of July weekend - the time of year we celebrate our freedoms as Americans. We celebrate our heritage and our WIN in the Revolutionary War. And what a revolution it was!

You know, as a peacemaker - mediator - I've helped hundreds of people resolve disputes over the years. Often folks arrive at the mediation table ready for "peace at any price" because they were tired out, tapped out and tuned out. But the most satisfying and productive outcomes never happen when we settle for peace at any price. The best and longest-lasting resolutions come when people roll up their sleeves and do the hard work of problem solving . . . the humbling work of reconciliation . . . and the character-building work of finding an outcome that seeks the good for all stakeholders at the table.

Peace at any price? No, that's a cop-out and thank God our nation's forefathers went a different route. Peace through integrity, tenacity and courage? Now that's revolutionary.