Our Seattle Mediators for Divorce

Last updated on June 18, 2024

Our trained mediators use their legal and mediation experience to serve as neutral mediators. They serve divorcing couples and others involved in family law issues ranging from simple to complex. Meet our team of mediators:

• Megan Stanley: Megan has been a licensed attorney since 1994. She has practiced in a number of roles, serving families. She received her initial training as a mediator while still in law school. Megan provided mediation services for the King County Prosecuting Attorney Family Support Division, resolving parenting and child support disputes for 10 years. She served as a Guardian ad Litem, representing children’s best interests and reporting to the court on contested parenting matters for 15 years. Since joining Meridian Family Law in 2015, she has represented clients in all aspects of family law, including financial issues and asset division as well as parenting and support matters. Megan serves as a volunteer mediator for the King County Family Law Settlement Conference Program. She is the parent of two young adult daughters.
• Krista Stipe: Krista has been a licensed attorney since 2006. In her practice, she engages in complex financial cases and parenting issues and, thus, is well-equipped to mediate cases with high or complicated assets, child issues, domestic violence and other family law matters. Additionally, she is a parent to two children and has a wealth of practical parenting experience. Krista serves as a volunteer mediator for the King County Family Law Settlement Conference Program.

Understanding Mediation in Family Law

Mediation is a confidential, informal process to reach resolutions to divorce, parenting plan modifications, and other family law issues without a trial or other forms of litigation. Our mediators provide a personalized focus on the parties’ unique concerns and goals.

Mediation allows the parties to reach an agreed resolution without the cost, stress and uncertainty of a trial. Negotiations apply the specific facts of the case to the legal standards and the unique needs of the parties and their children. This facilitates an agreed-upon solution for each family’s circumstances.

Snohomish and King County courts require mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution before proceeding to trial in most cases. Mediation is extremely effective, as the vast majority of cases settle in mediation without a trial. The mediator and the parties may conduct mediation together, or they may use “shuttle” mediation. This is when the mediator provides each party a separate space and the mediator moves (physically or virtually) between each party’s room.

The Many Benefits Of Mediation Services

Mediation in all family law cases offers many advantages compared to traditional litigation:

• Mediation is typically much less expensive than going to court.
• Mediation is a confidential process, so you can be free to open the discussion to creative solutions and keep personal issues out of the public court arena.
• Mediation allows for negotiation and resolution of all aspects of divorce or your family law matter, from property division to spousal maintenance and parenting plans (child custody) to child support.
• Mediation can also focus on resolving only a part of your legal matter, narrowing the range of issues that might still require litigation.
• Mediation provides you more control in shaping the outcome of an issue. It is an alternative to having a court decision imposed on you by a judge who is essentially a stranger to your family.
• Mediation provides the opportunity to craft creative solutions to fit the needs of a specific case or issue.
• Mediation allows for a closer examination of complicated and emotional issues. It allows the parties to have time to discuss their perspectives and concerns. This often provides a much more considered and reasoned outcome than what is received when litigating in our overwhelmed court system.

Do I Need My Own Attorney For Mediation?

While mediation does not require having an attorney, it is advisable to have one. We mediate with and provide mediation services for both unrepresented and represented parties.

Benefits Of Attorney Mediators

A mediator is neutral and can neither provide legal advice nor advocate for a party or an outcome. They must remain neutral. Many issues addressed in mediation require an understanding of legal issues and the law. An attorney mediator who focuses on family law can provide their specific knowledge and experience during mediation. This is often critical to obtaining an accurate and fair resolution. In most cases, this will ultimately need to be approved by the court.

Our attorney mediators are actively practicing attorneys. They have extensive experience, having worked in scores of legal cases during their careers. In doing so, they regularly communicate in a team effort to draw upon the experience of their colleagues and experts. This provides our mediators with a wealth of ideas and possible solutions to the problems families often face.

Book Your Mediation Today

For additional guidance on our mediation services or mediation in general, please contact us by phone at 206-569-5346 or online through the website. We are centrally located in downtown Seattle but also provide mediation services virtually via Zoom.