Resources
Mediation Resources
Plain-language guidance for family mediation in Florida. Nothing here is legal advice — each party should consult independent counsel for that.
Getting Started
- How to Prepare for Family Mediation →
- Before Your Session: The Financial Worksheet →
- Inside a Family Mediation Session →
- How the Mediation Process Works, Step by Step →
- When Is Mediation Not Appropriate? Safety and Domestic Violence →
- Mediating Before Anyone Files — Before a Case Is Opened →
- Mediating Without a Lawyer — What the Mediator Can and Can't Do →
- Fees, Session Minimums & How Costs Are Divided →
- Frequently Asked Questions →
Retirement, Pensions & Social Security
- How Retirement Accounts Get Divided in a Florida Divorce →
- Retirement Benefits, Pensions & Social Security in Later-Life Divorce →
- Social Security’s WEP and GPO Repeal — What It Means for a Florida Divorce →
- Social Security & Medicare Benefits for a Divorced Spouse →
- Social Security Survivor Benefits for a Divorced Spouse →
- Life Insurance, Annuities & Beneficiary Designations After Divorce →
Many of these articles relate to later-life divorce — see also Gray Divorce & Later-Life Mediation →
Support & Taxes
- Florida’s 2023 Alimony Reform — What Actually Changed →
- How Is Alimony Actually Calculated in Florida? →
- Alimony and Taxes — The Rule Most People Still Have Backwards →
- Claiming Children on Taxes After a Florida Divorce →
- Is Child Support Negotiable in Florida? →
- Beyond the Base Number — Extra Child-Related Expenses →
- Child Support and Self-Employment Income in Florida →
Property, Debt & the Marital Home
- Selling or Keeping the House — Refinancing & Capital Gains →
- Is a Degree, License, or Business Marital Property in Florida? →
- Dividing Debt and Protecting Your Credit →
Health Coverage
Parenting & Family
- What Florida Law Requires in a Parenting Plan →
- Shared vs. Sole Parental Responsibility — Decision-Making Explained →
- Children’s Health Coverage and Medical Decisions →
- Building a Holiday and Vacation Schedule That Actually Works →
- Co-Parenting Communication — Tools and Court-Ordered Apps →
- Modifying a Parenting Plan or Time-Sharing Schedule →
- Parent Relocation in Florida — What Belongs in Mediation →
- What Happens to the Pets in a Florida Divorce? →
- Do Grandparents Have Visitation Rights in Florida? →
Terms & Definitions
Quick definitions for words you’ll hear in mediation — time-sharing, caucus, equitable distribution, and more.
Time-Sharing
The schedule of when each parent spends time with a child. Florida courts use this term rather than “custody.”
Equitable Distribution
Florida’s framework for dividing marital property and debt upon dissolution.
Self-Determination
The principle that the parties — not the mediator, and not a judge — make the decisions in mediation.