Q: Good morning, What happens at a mediation for divorce? What if you don't have an attorney representing you?
My daughter escaped to a woman's shelter due to spousal abuse only to have her husband file for emergency custody in Pima County. Because she prepared well, she presented information that persuaded Judge Furlan to dismissed the case. She was served with divorce papers the same day so now she has a mediation on May 16. I am currently searching for an attorney but fear that she won't have representation in time for the mediation. How can she prepare and what should she expect during the mediation?
A: Your daughter should be represented at mediation. Many times abused spouses are intimidated by their abusers at mediations and the mediators do not understand the dynamics of the abusive situation the one parent has experienced at the hand of their spouse. As a result the mediator is focussed on a deal that resolves the matter but often times favors the abuser. Since there are children involved and Father is abusive as well as aggressive in court, this matter needs to be handled aggressively from the beginning and fought step by step to insure that your daughter and the children are protected.
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