Mediation is about maintaining control and dignity in the divorce process. Choosing divorce mediation allows you to:

• Have a say in your future. You and your spouse make the decisions about property, finances, and children, not a judge. This way, each party has some say about their future instead of letting a court of law decide their fate.
  
  
• Save money and time. By settling through a single mediation process, you avoid the expense and delay of drawn-out court battles and dueling attorneys. An agreed divorce is usually easier, faster, and costs less than a contested one.
  
  
• Minimize conflict. Mediation fosters cooperation and respectful communication, which can preserve a better long-term relationship, especially important if you will continue to co-parent children after the divorce. It reduces the adversarial nature of splitting up.
  
  
• Handle your own divorce even if you own real estate, a business or have retirement accounts to be divided. While in some cases, couples do not own significant assets and online forms may be acceptable, in other cases, a “form” divorce will not be in your best interest. At the same time, you and your spouse are in agreement with everything and don’t want to spend thousands of dollars if a mediator can help with the necessary legal language which should protect you and satisfy a Court.
  
  
• Ensure legal compliance. With an attorney guiding the mediation, you can trust that all agreements meet Tennessee’s legal requirements and nothing critical is overlooked. This provides peace of mind that your final decree will hold up in court.
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The Mediation Process:
From Agreement to Final Decree

While every case is unique, here is what you can expect from our uncontested divorce mediation process:

1. Initial Inquiry: We begin with an initial inquiry to confirm mediation is appropriate.
   
   
2. Mediation Session (3 Hours): Both spouses meet together with Lindsey at our office for a three-hour session where she facilitates negotiation on dividing property, real estate, retirement accounts, debts, alimony, and parenting plans.
   
   
3. Agreement Drafting: Once an agreement is reached, Lindsey prepares the Marital Dissolution Agreement, Parenting Plan, and child support worksheet if applicable. She can also guide you to finalize the Divorce Complaint and Final Decree of Divorce.
   
   
4. Review and Signing: Both spouses review and sign the documents, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
   
   
5. Filing and Finalization: Instructions are provided for filing documents with the court. A short waiting period follows, after which a brief final hearing takes place to finalize your divorce. You both appear in front of the Judge with the documents that were executed at mediation.

Throughout the process, our team remains available for questions and support, aiming to make your experience smooth and stress-free.

Seeking Expertise: For a legally sound and comprehensive divorce mediation, consult Lindsey Waller Johnson, a certified Rule 31 Mediator and experienced family law attorney with a unique combination of being an attorney and mediator. As a Partner at Kane & Crowell, she has years of experience guiding clients through divorce and ensuring agreements are fair and legally sound. Having a licensed attorney serve as your mediator means the documents prepared are drafted correctly and account for all necessary details. Lindsey’s dual role as attorney–mediator gives couples confidence that their uncontested divorce is handled with the utmost professionalism and care. (Note: As a neutral mediator, Lindsey does not “represent” either spouse in the way an advocate would; instead, she facilitates a mutually beneficial agreement. Both spouses always have the option to consult their own independent attorneys, but in most cases, it is not needed once a full agreement is reached.)