HCBA Lawyer Magazine No. 33, Issue 2 | Page 51

howToconducTanefficienTandcosT-effecTivefamilylawmediaTion
Mediation & Arbitration Section
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running alimony scenarios with your client in advance of your mediation is essential . Be sure you are running scenarios ranging from favorable to unfavorable and walking your client through the range of possibilities in advance . Explaining to your client that there is a range of relief available to the court helps soften the blow of counter responses , whether your client is the payor or the recipient of the support . At the end of the day , neither party will be thrilled with the amount negotiated , and the number will likely be outside of what they perceive to be their comfort zone . Having those discussions in advance will enable the client to make educated decisions about the offers and ultimately the outcome .
While many attorneys come to mediation with a draft settlement agreement prepared , these drafts often create an impediment to the process . An agreement drafted by one side will inevitably be biased in favor of the party whose attorney drafted . This results in mistrust by the other side and a breakdown of the process . It should be noted that the editing by the mediator of another attorney ’ s agreement will take at least twice as long . Mediators are often chosen , in part , because of their drafting abilities . Lean into this .
These are some tips that we hope will help you and your clients streamline the family mediation process and reach settlement agreements that everyone , including the practitioner , can live with . n
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PEACE : Parenting Plan , Equitable distribution , Alimony , Everything else ( attorneys ’ fees , life insurance , Qualified domestic relations Orders , Etc .
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Each plan will have a breakdown sheet reflecting all scenarios .
Authors : Amber Boles – Law Office of Amber Boles & Courtney Bowes – Bowes Law Group
Construction Law Section Luncheon / CLE onseptember15 , constructionlawsectionco-chairadamBildofBildlawpresenteda cleonthenewlegislationimpactingpropertyinsurancepassedduringthefloridalegislature ’ s may2022specialsession , andalsodiscussedthehistoryleadingtothelegislation , andpotential futureimpacts . ThankyoutoadamBildforhistimelyandinformativepresentation .
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