FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT SERVICES DOES MR. SHIPMAN PROVIDE?
Mr. Shipman can assist as a neutral third party in facilitating a potential settlement of part or all of the issues of your case. He works with the parties to attempt to resolve differences and come up with solutions that everyone can live with to resolve the matter.
Can Mr. Shipman represent both of the parties?
No. Mr. Shipman cannot represent both parties in their matter, and he cannot represent either side. Mr. Shipman cannot give legal advice to either party.
Can Mr. Shipman prepare legal documents for us?
Mr. Shipman can assist the parties in preparing a settlement agreement. This is generally called a CR2A Agreement (named after Civil Rule 2A, which is the settlement rule). This document would be a binding agreement between the parties related to some or all of the issues of the case. However, this is not a document that in and of itself will be accepted by the court to start or finish your divorce (or other family law) case. There are additional documents that have to be prepared. Mr. Shipman cannot prepare the additional legal documents needed to start or complete your divorce case. This is per WSBA Ethics Opinion 2223. Once you have an agreement, however, the parties can draft the final documents of the case, or have an attorney do so.
What are the fees for mediation?
Mr. Shipman charges $450 per hour for mediation and mediation is scheduled either in half day or full day blocks. The half day block is $2,250. The full day block is $3,600. Typically this fee is shared, so each party would pay ½ of this. This deposit is due once parties agree to mediation and select a date. A Law Pay link is sent to the parties, and they can pay by credit card, bank edraft, and there is even an option to finance the fee via Law Pay. If the parties go over the block of time, then there are additional charges at $450 per hour.
WILL I RECEIVE A REFUND IF WE USE LESS THAN THE BLOCK WE SELECT?
No. Part of the fee is reserving the date itself, given Mr. Shipman's schedule.
WHAT IF WE CANCEL MEDIATION BEFORE THE MEDIATION DATE?
If you cancel the mediation 10 days or more before the date, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel within 10 days of the mediation date, there is a $450 mediation cancellation fee per side. This is generally waived if parties are simply rescheduling to a new date.
WHAT MATERIALS ARE DUE FOR MEDIATION AND WHEN?
Mediation materials are due to the mediator and the other side at least by the end of the day, the day before mediation itself. Most critically, a party should provide the mediator with information about who the parties are, date of cohabitation, date of marriage (if applicable), kids ages, and date of separation. Then there should be an explanation of the history of the case, and a summary of what is being requested. A listing of the assets and debts of the case (if applicable), including values and suggested distribution, is always helpful, along with information about the incomes of the parties. It is not necessary to provide a lot of documentation to the mediator and the other side, but documentation that backs up values, incomes, etc., should be available to circulate on the day of mediation if possible.
WHEN WILL I GET A ZOOM LINK FOR MEDIATION?
Zoom links should be mailed out to you immediately when you schedule your mediation online. If you don’t see it yet the day before your mediation, please email Becky and she will resend the link.
WILL I BE IN THE SAME SPACE WITH THE OTHER SIDE DURING MEDIATION?
No, Mr. Shipman will place each side in separate breakout rooms. You will not see the other side or interact with the other side during the mediation day.
WHAT IF WE WANT TO HAVE AN IN-PERSON MEDIATION?
Mr. Shipman has some limited availability to have in person mediations. If you request an in person mediation online, we will confirm the same if our office is available.