Beaverton Portland Divorce Mediator Matthew House, J.D.: Child-Centered Divorce Without Attorneys
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  • Home
  • Why Mediate?
    • Portland Oregon Divorce Mediation: The Short Version
    • Save Time and Money
  • Why You Need Matthew
  • Choosing a Mediator
    • Qualifications
    • Experience
    • Concern for Kids
    • Accessibility
  • Matthew's Experience and Approach
    • About Matthew
    • Education & Training
    • True Stories: Inspiration >
      • Take Me to My Mommy NOW!
      • Lost in Philly
      • The Reds Runner
      • The Jump Rope Team
    • Media: TV, Radio, Print
    • Juvenile Justice Writing >
      • Juvenile Justice Initiative
  • Issues Settled in Divorce Mediation
    • Child Custody and Parenting Time
    • Child Support
    • Child Support Scenarios
    • Joint Accounts
    • Spousal Support
    • Tax Matters
    • Retirement Accounts in Oregon Divorce Mediation: IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), SEP
    • Homes and Other Real Estate
  • Divorce Mediation: Step By Step
    • Arranging a Divorce Mediation Consultation
    • Divorce Mediation: What to Expect >
      • Child Custody and Parenting Time
      • Spousal Support, Child Support, and Budgeting >
        • Spousal Support Changes in 2019
      • Property Division (Asset Division) and Debt Division
    • Divorce Mediation Report
    • Filing Forms after Divorce Mediation
    • QDROs
    • Parenting Education Class
  • Kids & Teens
    • Kids and Teens in Divorce Mediation
    • Teen Depression
  • Becoming a Client: Details and Fees
    • Information to Prepare
    • Arranging a Consultation
    • Mediation Fees
    • Fee Discounts
  • Location
  • Contact

Beaverton Divorce Mediation Consultation
with Matthew House

The first step to become a divorce mediation client of Matthew House is usually a one-hour consultation.

Matthew provides potential new clients a comprehensive visit for a discounted rate to understand why mediation is a better option than the traditional lawyer-facilitated route that many people take for no reason other than that it is the only approach they thought existed. 

On the agenda:   The in-person consultation is your opportunity to learn about the mediation process and ask questions about what to expect.  Matthew will ask you questions about your family circumstances, your income, and your assets to get a more complete picture of the issues that your mediation will need to address.  The goal of the consultation is to ensure that Matthew is a good fit for you and that you and your needs are a good fit for the process that Matthew offers. 

Who attends: Usually, both parties attend together.  Occasionally, if one cannot or will not attend, the other spouse chooses to attend the consultation alone.  It is much more likely that the overall process will take place and be successful if both parties attend the consultation and all mediation sessions.

What needs to wait until you have a full mediation session:  Discussion of your specific case is appropriate only when you have signed an Agreement to Mediate and have become Matthew's clients.  Ethically, Matthew will need time to gather information about your case before he can comment on questions and issues specific to your marriage, family, and property.  You should view the consultation as a sort of "flyover" to view the whole process, whereas the two-hour sessions will focus on examining and resolving specific questions.  However, you will not have to worry about a long delay.  Except when he has previously-scheduled travel commitments, Matthew guarantees that, if you want, you will be offered an appointment time for a two-hour session that is within 24 hours of your consultation session.

Fee:  $140.  This fee reflects a 30% discount from the standard hourly fee.  It is valid only for the one-hour consultation, and it presumes that both parties attend.  If only one party attends, the consultation fee is the standard hourly fee of $200.  The consultation is intended as, and is for most parties, the first step toward the full mediation process.  A discounted fee is appropriate as a likely start to a full process.  However, when one party does not attend the consultation, it is far less likely that the full mediation process will take place.

Matthew offers several discounts on the cost of the entire process if you and your spouse agree to pay all or part of the total anticipated fees for the mediation process at the time of the consultation, but doing so is optional.

Is it possible to begin mediation without an initial consultation?  Yes.  If you and your spouse believe that you understand enough about the process and about Matthew to be able to begin the process without an introductory consultation, you are welcome to save money by not beginning with a consultation.  Clients who bypass the initial consultation are still eligible for the $100 discount (the second of the three discounts listed above) if they prepay the entire anticipated cost of the mediation process at the first session. 

To arrange a consultation or full session:   Please call  (503) 643-5284, or send an email to  matthew@mediatormatthew.com
Matthew House, a Beaverton, Oregon divorce mediator with a law degree, provides child-centered metro Portland divorce mediation without attorneys.  Portland divorce mediator Matthew House helps divorce mediation clients with all aspects of an Oregon divorce: Asset division, property division, real estate, home equity, debts, taxes, income, spousal support, alimony, child support, child custody (joint custody and sole custody, legal custody and physical custody), parenting time, visitation, dividing retirement plans, using the Oregon Child Support Calculator and Oregon Child Support Guidelines, and arranging (with another professional) to have a QDRO prepared. Based in Beaverton, Matthew serves Oregon clients from Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, West Linn, Wilsonville, and all cities in Multnomah County, Washington County, and Clackamas County. He also provides free tutoring, counseling, mentoring and academic coaching to teenage children of his clients. forrest collins, michael dwyer, linda scher, morra, stuart watson, kinnison, meg goldberg, divorce shoppe
Contact Mediator Matthew House today:  (503) 643-5284   matthewmhousejd (at) gmail (dot) com