Chicago Divorce and Cook County Mediation Services
Are you looking for Chicago divorce mediation services? If yes, this article provides a comprehensive guide on some of the factors you need to consider during the selection process. With the many divorce mediation services in Chicago, you need to have knowledge on how to filter them in order to get the best ones that can help you with the assistance you require. Here are some of the factors you need to consider.
Experience – What Separates the Top Chicago Divorce Mediators and Divorce Mediation Firms
When doing the selection process, it is important to consider the number of years a mediator/mediation firm has been operating. It is advisable to hire a service that has been in the market for more than five years and conducts divorce mediations exclusively or has it as a major part of their practice. You want to work with a mediator who does this job full-time, always acts as a neutral and one that has recent and relevant experience. They will also have handled many cases involving divorce, thus you can be assured they will also assist you. Mediators who only mediate part of the time must focus there time on the other parts of their practice and/or firm. They are juggling many “hats” depending on what the client wants. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to a watered down mediation experience.
What Reputation Does Chicago Divorce Mediation Firms Have
With the many Chicago divorce mediation firms, there are those with good reputation while others do not have. The reputation a service has among clients is a key consideration you should not overlook. This will be in terms of the level of quality of the services provided, the price charged and how they relate with the clients. To know the kind of reputation a certain Chicago divorce mediation firm has, you can search for the reviews given by clients on different websites. Hire the one with more positive clients’ reviews. You can also get referrals from friends or other clients who may have received the assistance in their divorce cases from the same services.
Fees charged – Rates Vary Among Chicago Divorce Mediation Professionals
Various divorce mediators charge different fees for the services they offer. You will not have to spend a lot of money, but you must set aside a good amount in your budget for the fees. Thus, you have to carry out thorough search to get the services that offer the most affordable fees for their services. Research for the different services available and compare the prices. However, you need to avoid the cheapest ones because they may not be highly qualified to provide quality services. A highly qualified and reputable divorce mediation service will charge a reasonable price that is not too high or too low because they value their services. However, just because someone has been in the business for 20+ years, and charges based on how long they have been in the business, doesn’t necessarily equate to a good mediator for you.
Qualifications And Accreditations – What Education Do The Chicago Divorce Mediation Firms Have
You will need to check whether the firm you hire has high qualified divorce mediators with the ability to offer high level mediation services for your case. This can be determined by their reviews, their reputation in the the “divorce” community and their background. Though divorce mediators come from all walks of life, you want a mediation who has an understanding of divorce laws, family dynamics, mental health, problem solving, etc. Neither the degrees someone has, nor the alphabet soup after their names, makes someone a good mediator. In Illinois, the mediator must take a 40-hour mediation class and have liability insurance. Beyond that, there are no requirements. However, good divorce mediators are always educating themselves, attending trainings, presenting on divorce mediation topics and staying on top of what is going on in the field.
By considering the above factors, you will be able to hire Chicago divorce mediation service that will help you in your divorce case. They will play a big role in helping you get back to your marriage and live happily with your partner just the way you used to at the beginning of the marriage.
Also serving Blue Island, Calumet City, Des Plaines, Dolton, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Lansing, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Orland Park, Park Forest, Park Ridge, Tinley Park and all of Cook County.
