No. Private mediation is a voluntary process, and both of you have to choose to participate. Agreeing to a free initial call does not mean you have agreed to mediation or to anything your spouse or coparent is proposing.

It just gives you a chance to learn how the process works, ask questions, and decide for yourself whether you want to try it.

If you already have a case in court, the court often requires parties to attend mediation, particularly in family cases. But even then, you cannot be forced to reach an agreement.

No. If your spouse or coparent requested information, that does not mean they hired me or that I represent them. They may not have even spoken with me yet.

When I serve as a mediator, I am neutral. I do not represent either person, decide who is right, or advocate for one person's position over the other's. Both of you have to agree to work with me before I can serve as your mediator.

Divorce mediation is a process in which you and your spouse work with a neutral mediator to try to resolve the decisions involved in ending your marriage. Instead of asking a judge to decide those issues for you, mediation gives you an opportunity to talk through them, consider options, and create agreements that fit your family.

The mediator manages the process and helps you communicate and problem-solve, but the decisions remain yours. Maryland Courts specifically describes mediation as a process based on self-determination. You as the participants, rather than the mediator, decide whether and how to resolve their dispute.

The first step is a free 20-minute initial call. You can have that call together or separately.

I’ll explain how mediation works, answer your questions, and talk through what the process would look like if you decided to move forward. You do not have to make a decision before the call, and scheduling it does not commit you to mediation.

You do not have to already agree in order to mediate. Helping people work through disagreements is the reason mediation exists.

What matters more than if you already agree, is whether both people are willing to participate in the process, exchange the information needed to make decisions, consider different options, and see whether an agreement is possible.

You also do not have to trust that the other person will be perfectly reasonable before agreeing to learn more about mediation. That is part of the value of having a structured process and neutral mediator involved.

Divorcing spouses can use mediation to work through many of the issues that need to be resolved as part of a divorce, including property and finances, alimony or spousal support, child custody, access and parenting schedules, child support, and other child-related expenses.

Coparents can also use mediation without getting divorced. Mediation can help address parenting schedules, decision-making, communication, expenses, holidays, school issues, activities, and other disagreements that arise while raising children in two households.

You do not have to hire separate attorneys simply to participate in mediation. But you are free to get independent legal advice at any point in the process, and should consult with an attorney before making any final decisions or signing an agreement.

The mediator and attorney roles are different. When I'm acting as your mediator, I am neutral and do not act as either spouse's lawyer or give any legal advice.

An attorney representing you individually can advise you about your particular legal rights and review a proposed agreement with you before you sign it.

Yes. Parenting issues are a common reason parents use mediation, whether they are divorcing, already divorced, or were never married.

You can work through issues such as parenting schedules, holidays and vacations, decision-making for your children, communication between parents, expenses, and other details that need to work across two households.

Maryland's court system also recognizes mediation as a process for resolving parenting and family disputes. Many custody cases filed with the court are referred to mediation before they are heard by a judge.

Mediation in Maryland is generally a confidential process (with some limited exceptions). I will thoroughly explain the confidentiality rules and expectations that apply to your mediation as part of an initial call.

Confidentiality is one of the ways mediation differs from litigating disputes in open court and can give spouses or coparents more room to explore possible solutions.

Confidentiality is one of the core features of mediation and the limited exceptions, including certain circumstances involving abuse or threats of harm.

No. A mediator does not act like a judge and cannot order either person to accept a particular outcome.

I can help you identify the issues, communicate more productively, understand each other's concerns, and explore possible solutions. Whether you agree, and what you agree to, remains up to the two of you.

Yes. Private mediation is voluntary. Trying mediation does not mean giving up your ability to pursue other options if you cannot reach an agreement.

Mediation participants cannot be forced to agree to a resolution and may still proceed through the court process when mediation does not result in an agreement.

Yes. Mediation can help you resolve the issues in your divorce and put those terms into a written agreement, but the mediator does not grant the divorce. A Maryland court ultimately issues the divorce decree.

One way spouses can divorce after mediation is through mutual consent divorce in Maryland. After signing a marital settlement agreement that resolves the required issues, you submit the agreement and required divorce paperwork with the court. There is generally a short hearing before the court issues the Judgment of Absolute Divorce, legally finalizing the divorce.

The cost depends on how many issues you need to resolve, how complicated those issues are, and how much mediation time you need.

Mediation is generally less expensive than litigating a contested divorce because you are working together to resolve issues rather than each paying lawyers to prepare for and fight those issues in court.

I offer flat-fee Maryland divorce mediation packages starting at $1,250. Packages include mediation session time as well as drafting your agreement and providing the Maryland divorce forms you can to complete the divorce process.

There is no single timeline because every family has different issues to work through. A couple that already agrees on most of the big decisions may need much less mediation time than a couple that needs to work through parenting, finances, property, and support.

You also do not need to solve everything before you begin. Part of the mediator's job is to help organize the issues and give you a structured way to work through them one at a time.

You can view my calendar here to see how quickly you can schedule your first session.