Portland Oregon Divorce Mediation Consultation
Mediator Matthew House offers two options to begin:
How Matthew's Approach Will Help You:
- The 30-minute meet-and-greet is free of charge..
- The entire first hour is free of charge if you opt for the 90-minute introduction.
- You’ll be acquainted with the basics of the process before you even arrive. You won’t have to find out during your consultation time, as some other mediators approach it. In fact, the information about Matthew’s mediation process and its components are already online for you to review whenever you prefer.
- You meet the one person who will be helping you with all aspects of your mediation. Although a “team” approach seems helpful, here’s why it isn’t.
- You will be able to get into the details of your case right away. It is introductory but not merely preparatory. Although we will not attempt to resolve issues at the introduction, we will identify them and ensure that there is a path to resolution. You will not simply be given "homework." You will actually get something valuable.
- There are no one-on-one conversations. All of your communication with Matthew will take place in the other party’s presence. This gives you confidence in Matthew’s objectivity and the transparency of the process, while not depriving you of your right to express individual concerns.
- None of your paid time is wasted. The discussion in the second 30-minute block reveals the next steps, your pre-mediation to-do list, and a roadmap for the process. Matthew has prepared materials that he will provide to you as soon as the discussion identifies the needs.
- For each component of the process that applies to your case, you will receive a link to a page of concise information about what the topic means in divorce, the most common ways to address it, the basic information you need to provide about it, and any additional information or documents you may need to gather based on whether and to what extent the topic is disputed. As a result, the last 30 minutes (the only time you actually pay for) will be fully focused on your needs.
Next Steps
- Both parties must attend the meet-and-greet or introduction. The consultations are provided free of charge or at a discounted fee because they usually result (90% of the time) in both parties agreeing to begin divorce mediation with Matthew House. It is less likely that both parties will agree to mediate if only one has attended.
- Until you become Matthew's mediation clients by signing an Agreement to Mediate and paying your initial mediation fees, Matthew cannot answer any questions specific to your case or entertain any hypothetical scenarios about how the issues in your case might be resolved.
- In your consultation agreement, to be signed prior to the consultation, you will confirm that you have a family law matter (divorce, separation, or modification of a prior judgment) that is already in process or that you intend to begin to handle within 30 days of the consultation date. If you are not ready to proceed with mediaton in the near future, please wait to schedule a consultation until you are ready.