Mediation

Northwest Indiana Mediation Lawyer

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution. In Indiana, it is often used in divorce and other family law matters to give the parties an opportunity to resolve their differences before going to court. Mediation can also be used as a possibly less expensive and less stressful alternative to an adversarial divorce.

I'm Julie R. Glade, a registered family law mediator in Merrillville, Indiana. My experience as a licensed attorney and a mental health nurse has assisted me in helping couples work toward an amicable settlement of divorce issues such as child custody, child support and visitation, and property division.

In a traditional divorce, each side is represented by his or her own lawyer. Since the process is adversarial by nature, and depending on the circumstances, traditional divorce proceedings may be drawn out — and expensive.

In a mediated divorce, both sides hire an objective third party, a mediator, to help them reach an agreement. Both sides may submit a confidential statement outlining their respective positions to assist the mediator; the mediator cannot share the statement with the opposing party. In addition, Indiana laws and rules provide safeguards to protect the confidential nature of the settlement meetings. Parties are not required to reach a mediated agreement, but the results are binding on parties if an agreement is reached and presented to and approved by the court.

Mediation can be used to resolve a single intractable issue in a divorce or it can be used to resolve the entire divorce process. Each side can be represented by his or her own attorney or the parties can attend mediation alone without legal representation, if they so choose.

Mediation can result in a streamlined, inexpensive divorce that spares the parties the financial and emotional costs of litigation.

Attorney Consultation

I would be happy to discuss mediation of your case. Simply schedule an appointment with me, registered mediator and family law attorney Julie R. Glade, by calling (219) 736-0456 or by filling out the contact form on this web site. From my law office in Merrillville, I serve clients throughout Lake County and Porter County in Northwest Indiana.