Harrison & Vale currently provides virtual divorce mediation services in New Jersey and California.

For New Jersey cases: Harrison & Vale will draft the terms reached by the parties in a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU). Then your attorneys will convert the final MOU into the formal “Marital Settlement Agreement”, which is the document that is filed with the court to legally dissolve the marriage.  It is also the document that will stipulate how things move forward after the divorce is granted by the court.

https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/rules-of-court?id=1:40-4&search=mediation-general-rules&section=All

For California cases: Harrison & Vale will assist both parties in memorializing the settlement terms in a Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA), while remaining neutral and without representing either spouse. https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_857

Our founder brings a unique perspective, having personally navigated divorce through mediation while raising children, she understands that reaching an agreement is more than dividing assets or creating a parenting schedule. It is about finding a way for two people to move forward with their lives, especially when children are involved.

While trained in family law and dispute resolution, her experience includes extensive work with divorcing couples and assisting self-represented litigants through the divorce process. The combination of professional training and lived experience helps shape Harrison & Vale's approach to mediation.

Mediation gives the dissolving parties the opportunity to work through the decisions that need to be made without turning every disagreement into a courtroom battle.

The mediator does not choose sides or decide who is right or wrong. Instead, we ask the right questions, gather the necessary information, help identify where the disagreements actually are, and guide productive conversations toward terms both parties can accept.

Depending on your circumstances, mediation can address parenting time, decision-making for children, division of assets and debts, the marital home, child support, spousal support, retirement accounts, expenses, and the many other details that come with separating two lives. Most importantly, you remain in control of the outcome.

Mediation is voluntary, no one can force you to agree to a term you do not accept, and either party can end the process. The mediator can help organize information, identify issues, request that necessary documents be exchanged, and help the parties explore possible solutions, but the final decisions belong to you.

The discussions that occur in mediation are not only confidential but are privileged (similar to lawyer-client privilege that many people are familiar with except that all parties in the mediation hold the privilege) under the New Jersey Uniform Mediation Act and Court Rule 1:40 (and the harmonized New Jersey Rules of Evidence 519).

A mediator is not a judge, arbitrator, therapist, or either party's attorney. Mediation does not stop the parties from consulting independent counsel or other professionals throughout the process. Moreover, choosing mediation does not mean giving up your right to go to court; if you cannot reach an agreement, litigation remains available. However, our philosophy at Harrison & Vale is simple: not every divorce needs to become a war. Yes, the marriage may be ending, but when children are involved the parenting relationship often isn't. Mediation creates an opportunity to resolve the difficult issues privately, preserve what matters, and build an agreement that allows the parties to move on with their lives.

Schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation or email us directly at consult@hvfirm.com.

All inquiries are confidential, and we ask that you allow up to 24 hours for a response.