Columbus Mediation Lawyer
Attorney Mary Lewis Turner is a trained mediation lawyer in Columbus who has been mediating cases for over a decade. Mary has served as a mediator for the Delaware County Domestic Relations Court, Franklin County Prosecutor’s office, Franklin County Small Claims Court, as well as for private clients.
With years of experience, a personal, compassionate touch, and a fair approach to all her legal mediation services in Columbus, Mary is ready to be your divorce mediator.
What Does a Divorce Mediation Attorney in Columbus do?
Mediation is a private process where a neutral third person, called a mediator, helps disputing parties discuss and try to resolve their dispute outside of court. The mediator’s role is to facilitate communication between the parties to help them achieve a resolution.
The role of a mediation lawyer is to stay neutral and impartial and use negotiation strategies to help each side of a dispute work out their differences and meet somewhere in the middle. This is an important process that can help many people avoid a costly and stressful court battle, by simply working out an acceptable agreement privately.
What Does a Mediation Lawyer in Columbus Not Do?
The mediator does not represent either party as an attorney or advocate. A legal mediator must remain neutral in any mediation, and cannot represent either party during the mediation. In many cases, as mediation services in Columbus are intended to be a private discussion between parties to avoid litigation, you may find that legal representation for your side is not necessary during the mediation process.
However, in the event that legal representation is desired for mediation, Mary is available to represent you, but in that case, someone else must be appointed as the mediator.
The legal mediator is also not a judge and cannot order a decision in either party’s favor. The legal mediation process is not the same as a court case, where a ruling is handed down that the parties must adhere to. All binding agreements coming from mediation services in Columbus must be discussed and agreed to by both parties. If the parties cannot come to an amicable solution in mediation, then the dispute may escalate to a court case.
Why Choose Mary Lewis Turner as Your Mediation Attorney in Columbus?
Mary brings years of experience with her to every mediation. As a highly-qualified and trusted mediation attorney in Columbus, she will take the time to understand the issue from each person’s perspective, learn each person’s goals and concerns, and keep discussions productive. Mary utilizes effective techniques and a practical approach to help parties avoid impasse and stay focused on reaching a resolution.
In addition, Mary’s experience as a divorce attorney in Columbus provides an additional benefit for parties seeking mediation for divorce and custody cases. She can provide options for you to consider regarding the division of marital assets and debts, child custody, parenting time schedules, child support, and spousal support.
Mary has also received specialized training in divorce mediation in Columbus including cases where families have experienced domestic abuse.
Schedule a consultation with experienced mediation attorney Mary Lewis Turner to learn more about the mediation process and how it can help you resolve your case. Mary is happy to speak with both parties during the consultation to explain the mediation process and steps.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an attorney to represent me at my mediation?
You may attend mediation with or without an attorney present to represent you. Many parties attend mediation without attorneys present, even if one or both of them have a lawyer.
Will you represent me at my mediation?
If I am serving as the mediator in the case, I cannot represent either party in that case because the mediator is neutral.
If you hire me to be your Attorney and you want to attend mediation to resolve your case, then you will hire another person to serve as the mediator, and I can represent you in that matter as your attorney.
Is Mediation Confidential?
Yes. Everything that is discussed during mediation is confidential and both parties must sign a confidentiality agreement at the start of the mediation. The mediator cannot be called into court to testify regarding what was discussed during mediation.
Can the mediation fees be divided between the parties?
Yes. It is up to both parties how the mediation fees will be divided, if at all. Many parties equally divide their mediation fees, or they may be paid from joint marital funds. The allocation of mediation fees is often one of the issues discussed during the mediation, but the fees do need to be paid at the time of engaging my services for your mediation.
Can you run a child support or spousal support calculation during our mediation?
Yes. One of the benefits of having an experienced divorce attorney serve as your mediator is that I can run child support and spousal support calculations for you. The mediator is neutral so you can ensure that the calculations will not be skewed in either party’s favor.
I want to mediate my case, but I do not want to be in the same room as the other party. Is this possible?
Yes. I structure each mediation based on the individual case and the parties’ preferences. If you do not want to be in the same room as the other party, I am able to effectively mediate between separate rooms. Typically, I start mediations with the parties together, then I will separate the parties from time to time depending on their requests and what I think is most likely to facilitate the negotiations. I also mediate cases effectively by Zoom if you do not want to be in the same location.
Can you mediate by Zoom?
Yes. I can effectively mediate by Zoom. I am even able to separate parties into individual break-out rooms so that we can “meet” individually during the mediation.
Can you mediate by phone?
I do not mediate over the phone because I have found that it is not effective. Other mediators may have a different opinion or preference, but I do not offer phone mediations. If you would like a virtual mediation, I am happy to mediate your case by Zoom.
If we reach an agreement in mediation, will you draft the court paperwork?
Ohio law does not allow mediators to draft court paperwork for cases that they have mediated. If you reach an agreement during your mediation, I will draft a Memorandum of Agreement for both parties to sign acknowledging the specific terms of the agreement. The Memorandum of Agreement will help your attorney draft and file the necessary legal documents with the court. If you need a referral to an attorney to draft your legal documents, I am happy to provide referrals.
Can I bring a family member or friend to the mediation for support?
This will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Mediation is a private process, so both parties must be comfortable and consent to another person being present. If both parties agree that another person will attend the mediation with them, this person must also sign the confidentiality agreement to keep the information disclosed during the mediation private.
The material on this webpage has been prepared by Lewis Legal Solutions for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on any specific matter. No attorney-client relationship is implied or created by the information found on this website. Lewis Legal Solutions practices law within the state of Ohio. Individuals should seek the advice of legal counsel licensed in their state.