Family Law Specialist

Our lead attorney, Donna J. Smiedt, has held the prestigious title of Board Certified Family Law Attorney - Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1991. During her more than 30 years of practicing law, Ms. Smiedt has handled virtually every kind of divorce, from the most friendly to the most contentious. Her intimate familiarity with divorce law in Texas will give you confidence that every aspect of your mediation is proceeding properly.

Compassion

Our lawyers understand that divorce can be an emotional and overwhelming experience for all parties involved. We do everything we can to make dissolving your marriage as easy and stress-free as possible, including bringing divorce therapy dogs to our office! You can trust that our compassionate attorneys and mediators will handle your unique situation with all the sensitivity that it requires.

Mediation Focus

Whenever possible, our divorce lawyers recommend avoiding traditional litigation and settling your divorce through mediation. After more than 30 years of practicing divorce law, Ms. Smiedt has seen how divorce mediation can be much more friendly, efficient, and affordable than going to court. Thanks to their familiarity with and preference for collaborative divorce, Ms. Smiedt is able to act as either your attorney in mediation or the mediator during this process.

Mediation is an alternative approach to divorce that can be much less contentious, less costly, and less time-consuming than typical litigation in divorce court.

During mediation, you and your spouse will meet with a neutral third party (called a mediator) to discuss and resolve all the aspects of your divorce. These mediation sessions should take place in a neutral location, such as the comfortable conference rooms at our law offices in Arlington.

Mediators do not necessarily need to be attorneys, but having a Board Certified Family Law Attorney – Texas Board of Legal Specialization like Donna J. Smiedt involved in these proceedings may bring you valuable peace of mind. The role of a mediator is to:

• Help you and your spouse identify and understand what needs to be addressed during your divorce so you can make informed decisions
• Act as a peacekeeper
• Recommend solutions and help you reach a mutually acceptable agreement 
• Draft the required paperwork to make your divorce agreement official

Depending on the pace of the process, which is primarily determined by you and your spouse, a mediated divorce can take two to six months (much faster than traditional divorce litigation, which can take a year or longer). However, any agreement reached in mediation is not legally binding until it has been finalized by a judge. 

Couples on Good Terms

Mediation requires couples to be in the same room together and have sensible conversations about ending their marriage. If you and your spouse can't stand to be around each other, mediation may not work.

Mature Couples

Mediation is all about compromise. If either party is unwilling to meet halfway on some issues, a mediation session probably won't be productive.

Couples with No History of Abuse

If your marriage is ending because of a history of physical or emotional abuse, mediation might not be the right course of action. While the mediation process can feel empowering for some abuse victims, there is also a chance that the abusive spouse may try to intimidate the other.

If you and your spouse decide to resolve your divorce through mediation, it is crucial to choose a trustworthy and reliable mediator. Many divorce mediators are attorneys, while others may work for professional mediation firms. We recommend you choose a mediator who is:

Any aspect of your divorce agreement can be decided through mediation. At our firm in Arlington, TX, serving clients throughout Southlake and Westover Hills, we mediate conversations between divorcing couples about:

• Financial Support: Questions of child support and alimony can be answered much more easily through divorce mediation than through divorce court. In a mediation session, each spouse can communicate his or her financial needs, worries, and expectations clearly and reasonably. 
• Child Custody: When divorcing couples have children, deciding on a co-parenting plan is often the most emotionally charged topic of debate. The divorce lawyers at our Arlington law firm can mediate these conversations so that the perspective of each parent is heard and the best interests of the child are protected.
• Property Division: Mediation can allow you and your spouse to easily decide who gets what. A divorce mediator like Donna J. Smiedt can help all parties make reasonable compromises so that property and possessions are distributed as fairly as possible.

Most divorcing couples hope for an ideal future in which they can stay on friendly terms with their ex-spouse. Unfortunately, the stresses and contentiousness of divorce court often cause further damage to already broken relationships and make that kind of positivity impossible. To maintain the best possible relationship with your soon-to-be ex, we recommend giving divorce mediation a try.

Divorce mediation allows couples to bring their marriage to an end in a reasonable and mutually beneficial manner. To learn more about mediation with the help of the Family Law Firm of Donna J. Smiedt in Arlington, TX, request a consultation by contacting us online or calling 

(817) 572-9900

Divorce mediation is an effective process for many couples. Unfortunately, there are some situations in which spouses can't mediate an agreement and are forced to bring their case before a judge. If you hire our attorneys to be by your side during mediation and negotiations fall apart, we are prepared to represent you in court as well. We aggressively advocate for our clients and make sure that they achieve the best possible outcome in any divorce proceeding.