Mediation

You don’t need to have everything figured out. You don’t even need to be on the same page. Mediation begins with a conversation—and I’m here to guide you through it to bring calm in the chaos.

What is Mediation?

A calmer Path to Resolution

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process that gives individuals and families the opportunity to resolve disputes in a safe, structured environment, without the emotional and financial toll of litigation. Whether you're navigating divorce, parenting issues, or family conflict, mediation allows you to move forward with clarity, dignity, and control.

🤝 My Role as a Mediator

As a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, I can be hired to serve as a neutral third party in your family law case, whether or not you've hired an attorney. My role is to remain completely neutral. I don’t offer legal advice, take sides, or make decisions for you. Instead, I guide structured, solution-focused conversations that help each party communicate clearly, identify practical options, and work toward mutual agreements, at your pace and on your terms.

What I do:

Guide discussions with empathy and impartiality
Help clarify needs, concerns, and goals
Ensure all voices are heard in a safe, respectful space
Keep the process focused, productive, and child-centered (when applicable)
Draft a written summary of agreements.

You remain in control of the outcome. I guide the process—you decide what’s best for your family.

Pro Se Mediation

Pro Se Mediation refers to mediation where the individuals work directly with a neutral mediator—without attorneys present during the session. It’s a respectful, cost-effective option for people who want support resolving their family matters but prefer to keep things simpler and more collaborative.

At Calm in Chaos, I specialize in guiding Pro Se clients through difficult conversations with structure, neutrality, and care. This process allows both parties to have a voice, express their concerns, and build mutually agreed-upon solutions, without the financial or emotional weight of litigation.

While some families choose to consult with attorneys outside of mediation for legal guidance, many find that working with a trauma-informed, mental health-trained mediator helps keep the focus on what matters most: clear communication, emotional safety, and functional parenting or separation plans.

Pro Se Mediation is especially helpful for:

Parents who want to co-create a parenting plan without court
Couples seeking to separate or divorce amicably
Individuals ready to reduce conflict and move forward

If you're seeking a calm, structured space to work things out without attorneys in the room, Pro Se Mediation may be the right fit for you.

Who Is Mediation For?

Mediation is ideal for:

Couples going through separation or divorce
Co-parents developing or modifying parenting plans
Former partners who want to reduce conflict without returning to court
Adult family members resolving disputes around caregiving, estates, or boundaries
Anyone seeking respectful, structured dialogue without legal escalation

You do not need to be in full agreement to begin mediation. You just need to be willing to try.

What to Expect

A calm, neutral setting—either virtual or in-person
Ground rules to ensure emotional and physical safety
A structured process that keeps you focused and moving forward
Help identify goals, concerns, and workable solutions
A summary of agreements or draft parenting plan (when applicable)
Referrals to attorneys or financial professionals if needed

Sessions are booked in Half-Day Mediation (9:00 am-1:00 pm or 2:00 pm-6:00 pm) or Full-Day Mediation (9:00 am- 5:00 pm) and may take place over multiple meetings, depending on the complexity of the issues.

Benefits of Mediation

Control: You make your own decisions—not a judge.
Cost-Effective: Typically much less expensive than litigation.
Faster: Sessions are scheduled at your pace, not the court’s.
Confidential: Unlike court, mediation is private and respectful. What is discussed in mediation cannot be taken into court and used against you if an agreement is not reached.
Child-Centered: Keeps the focus on stability and well-being for kids.
Emotionally Safer: Reduces blame, escalation, and long-term damage.

Cost of Services:

-$250/hour (split evenly between the parties unless agreed or ordered differently)

-2 hour minimum

-Payment is due the day of mediation, at the end of mediation unless stated otherwise in the confirmation letter.

-Payment can be made in the following ways:

*credit card over Zoom

Venmo: @JessicaOliverLCSW

Zelle: Jessica@peacefulpasturesranch.org

Cashapp: $JessicaOliverLCSW

Schedule Full Day

Schedule Half Day

So what does mediation look like?

If you have an attorney:
- Your attorney will pick the mediator, schedule the mediation date with the other attorney or party (if they don’t have an attorney), and prepare you for mediation. Your attorney will attend the mediation with you (virtually over Zoom, or you can both be at the attorney’s office if the attorney has that capability).
- The Mediator is a neutral party, so they are not allowed to discuss the issues in the case with the parties prior to the mediation or after the mediation is completed.
- During the mediation you and your attorney will be in a separate break-out room together where no one can see or hear you except the Mediator when the Mediator is also in the break-out room. The two parties will not see each other during the mediation. This may be different than what you have seen on TV, but it is usually the best way to get cases resolved.
- The Mediator will explain the mediation ground rules to you and listen to the facts of your case and legal arguments made by your attorney. You, your Attorney, and the Mediator will discuss what division of assets and debts and/or parenting plan and child support is appropriate in your case based on all the facts and the law. Once you approve the agreed-upon offer, the Mediator will leave your break-out room and go to the break-out room of the other party and their attorney.
- The mediator will listen to the other party’s interpretation of the facts in the matter and the related law. Then the mediator will tell the offer to the other party and their attorney.
- There is usually some back-and-forth negotiating through the mediator, who will go between the virtual rooms discussing offers made. As the different issues in the case are resolved, the Mediator will be taking notes so that the Mediated Settlement Agreement can be drafted once everything is agreed.
- Sometimes, the parties will agree to settle some, but not all, of the issues in the case. If that happens, the mediator will draft a Partial Mediated Settlement Agreement.
- After the parties review the typed document and the Mediator makes any changes that they have, the Mediated Settlement Agreement will be sent out to the parties and their attorneys for digital signature.
- The parties pay the mediator their 50% of the mediator’s hourly rate ($250/hr total) for the time it took to complete the mediation. The rates are further explained in the confirmation letter sent out by the mediator and forwarded to the parties by their attorney.
- Following mediation, if your case has come to a full agreement, then one of the attorneys will either submit a Final Judgment or Order to the Judge for signature, or the attorney will schedule a short hearing for one of the parties to appear before the judge to finalize the case (your attorney will discuss this process with you more fully).
If you do NOT have an attorney:
- The Mediator is a neutral party, so they are not allowed to discuss the issues in the case with the parties prior to the mediation or after the mediation is completed.
- Here are great resources for everything involved:
  - FLORIDA:https://www.flcourts.org/Resources-Services/Alternative-Dispute-Resolution/Mediation-in-Florida
- First, the parties must both agree to use the mediator and to use the private mediation process (aka virtual mediation over Zoom, not at the courthouse).
- Prior to mediation, the parties must complete Financial Affidavits
  - Florida:https://www.flcourts.org/content/download/685813/file_pdf/902c10-21.pdf
- It is also helpful if the parties exchange financial documents and information prior to the mediation. The courts in Florida require the documents on this list to be exchanged unless the parties agree to waive that requirement: https://www.flcourts.org/content/download/685889/file_pdf/932.pdf
- Although the parties can waive the full disclosure as part of any agreement reached, it is important for both parties to have a full understanding of all the assets and debts so that any agreement reached will be reached with full knowledge of everything that exists.
- During the mediation: You and the other party will be in a separate break-out room where no one can see or hear you except the Mediator when the Mediator is also in the break-out room. The two parties will not see each other during the mediation unless both parties agree to be in the same virtual room. This may be different than what you have seen on TV, but it is usually the best way to get cases resolved.
- The Mediator will explain the mediation ground rules to you and listen to the facts of your case and any legal arguments you might have.
- The Mediator CANNOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE to the parties because the Mediator is a neutral party.
- You and the Mediator will discuss what division of assets and debts and/or parenting plan and child support is appropriate in your case based on all the facts you tell them. Once you approve the agreed-upon offer, the Mediator will leave your break-out room and go to the break-out room of the other party.
- The mediator will listen to the other party’s interpretation of the facts in the matter. Then the mediator will tell the offer to the other party and find out if they are in agreement.
- There is usually some back-and-forth negotiating through the mediator, who will go between the virtual rooms discussing offers made. As the different issues in the case are resolved, the Mediator will be taking notes so that the Mediated Settlement Agreement can be drafted once everything is agreed.
- Sometimes, the parties will agree to settle some, but not all, of the issues in the case. If that happens, the mediator will draft a Partial Mediated Settlement Agreement.
- After the parties review the typed document and the Mediator makes any changes that they have, the Mediated Settlement Agreement will be sent out to the parties for digital signature.
- The parties pay the mediator their 50% of the mediator’s hourly rate ($250/hr total) for the time it took to complete the mediation. The rates are further explained in the confirmation letter sent out by the mediator prior to the mediation.
- Following mediation, if your case has come to a full agreement, then you can submit the agreement with the appropriate forms to the court and finalize your case through the court process (the forms can be found here:
  - FLORIDA: https://www.flcourts.org/Resources-Services/Office-of-Family-Courts/Family-Courts/Family-Law-Forms?query=&offset=50&view=embed_custom&searchType=form&limit=50&sort=form/number%20asc,%20form/date%20desc&recentOnly=0&activeOnly=0&active_only=0&nonActiveOnly=0&nonactive_only=0&show_scopes=0&hide_search=0&hide_filters=0&siteaccess=osca
- You can also hire an attorney for an “uncontested divorce” where they will finalize everything for you at a lower cost than a contested case.
- Please refer to the “Amicable Divorce Network” for a referral to an attorney specializing in uncontested divorces.