Resolve Your Divorce Peacefully

When you choose a divorce mediator, you are choosing a private, confidential party to help you address your divorce issues. We work with both sides in a divorce to solve problems without fighting. A working solution, built through a collaborative process is a solution that lasts.

Family Law Mediation Lawyer in Orange County

Protecting Families in LA County, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, & Santa Barbara

Kevin B. Gibbs, a seasoned family law mediation attorney in Orange County, has over 25 years of experience working with clients to navigate mediation in Southern California. Attorney Gibbs takes a compassionate approach to your situation and will help you prepare to voice your goals and interests in mediation as you discuss disputes with your spouse.

Mediation can help parents negotiate mutual agreements on child and spousal support based on California’s guidelines. An experienced family law mediation lawyer like Kevin B. Gibbs can assist spouses in preparing for these negotiations by outlining their goals and needs, as well as by assessing their financial situations to determine their ability to pay. Note that the more cooperative the parents are, the more successful mediation (and co-parenting) will be.

An often overlooked but significant advantage of mediation is its flexibility, allowing for creative solutions tailored to family dynamics. Unlike court-imposed decisions, clients can explore various parenting arrangements and support solutions that best meet their needs and those of their children. Additionally, mediation often leads to more sustainable agreements because both parties actively participate in crafting the outcomes.

For trusted and professional advocacy for you and your family, contact Kevin B. Gibbs, your experienced family law mediation lawyer in Orange County at (714) 710-8834.

Divorce Mediation

Mediation is a common approach for couples to resolve their divorce disputes. More specifically, divorce mediation is where an impartial third-party person (the mediator) helps spouses reach an agreement they can both accept about relevant divorce issues. Divorce mediation typically entails several meetings between spouses, where they will discuss the issues that need to be resolved in the case before heading to court if necessary. Mediation may be desirable as only the spouses involved in the dispute have decision-making power and not, for example, a judge (or the mediator).

While mediation may not resolve every issue on the table, it can address some issues so that the couple can concentrate on fewer issues in court. Mediation can work for divorcing couples seeking discussion without the court’s intervention. Both cooperating couples and even families with high-conflict divorces can benefit from divorce mediation, as litigation often results in conflict, while mediation creates an environment for more personal discussion.

With the help of a divorce mediator like Attorney Kevin B. Gibbs, who is also an experienced divorce lawyer, couples can negotiate their own settlement and learn techniques for resolving future differences. Mediation allows couples to retain control over the decisions that affect their post-divorce lives.

The process encourages transparency and openness, fostering an environment where both parties can communicate their concerns and desires openly without the constraints typical in a courtroom setting. This method is particularly beneficial in preserving amicable relationships post-divorce, crucial when children are involved. By emphasizing communication and understanding, mediation addresses immediate concerns and lays the groundwork for healthier interactions long after the divorce is finalized.

Our Areas of Focus

Exclusive to Divorce Mediation

Support Mediation

Child support addresses the costs of raising a child after a divorce, while spousal support (alimony) encompasses payments made from a higher-earning spouse to the other to facilitate the transition from a two-income household to a one-income household. Spouses can draft their support agreements in mediation without the influence of the court, provided they submit the plan for court approval.

Child support payments are generally paid monthly until the child turns 18 years old, and the amount will depend on the non-custodial parent’s ability to pay. Spousal support payments in California can fall under three categories – temporary, rehabilitative, and permanent spousal support – which determine how long payments will last. For more specific information on how calculations for payment amounts are determined, visit the Support Mediation page.

Mediation empowers couples to personalize support agreements, ensuring that they reflect the nuances of their financial situations and familial obligations. This flexibility allows for modifications that can accommodate changes in income or family dynamics, providing a long-term solution tailored to evolving needs. Mediation participants often find that custom agreements are more equitable and in touch with the practical realities of raising children and maintaining separate households.

Property Division

Another important topic of discussion in mediation relates to property division. Determining community property and separate property is the critical first step. Assets and debts that spouses acquire during the marriage belong equally to both of them and are considered community property, so they must divide them equally in a divorce. Property owned by one spouse alone, before the marriage, or acquired by gift or inheritance during the marriage, is considered that spouse’s separate property and is generally not divided in a divorce.

Note that a spouse may change a separate asset into a community asset without meaning to by combining (“commingling”) separate property with community property. This might occur if a spouse makes deposits to the other spouse’s premarital bank account during the marriage or if both spouses pay the mortgage of a house technically owned by only one spouse.

Spouses can divide assets by assigning certain items to each other, allowing one spouse to “buy out” the other’s share, or by selling assets and dividing the proceeds. They can also agree to hold property together even after the divorce, which is commonly the case when parents agree to keep a family home until children are out of school or maintain investment property, hoping it will increase in value.

Mediation provides an opportunity for couples to address complex issues of property division with discretion and privacy. Unlike traditional court proceedings, mediation allows for an atmosphere where spouses can explore various methods of dividing property that suit their particular circumstances. This approach can mitigate conflict and promote a more profound understanding of both parties’ financial and material contributions to the marriage.

Contact Kevin B. Gibbs

Get In Touch With Us

If you are pursuing mediation to resolve your divorce or family issue in Southern California, contact an experienced mediation lawyer for legal support to guide you through the process. Successful mediation requires cooperative communication between spouses, which may be difficult in the face of tough negotiation topics like child custody and property division. Kevin B. Gibbs has extensive experience helping clients prepare and work through mediation, so you can trust that you will have a trusted and professional mediation attorney by your side with Attorney Gibbs.

Residents in areas such as Orange County benefit from local insights that Attorney Gibbs incorporates into the mediation process, ensuring that regional legal nuances are considered. Furthermore, the firm is committed to offering personalized mediation strategies that reflect the unique dynamics of each case.

Reach out to Kevin B. Gibbs, APLC today at (714) 710-8834 to schedule a consultation with your experienced family law mediation lawyer in Orange County and put yourself on the path to a resolution that aligns with your family’s future.

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Anaheim, CA 92807
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Our Testimonials

See What Clients Are Saying

“I used Mr. Gibbs for my divorce. He was great, very knowledgeable and professional! He was excellent at letting me know the options I had and pointing me in the best direction. He was upfront and honest about outcomes. I was very happy with his service.”
- Joshua L.
“I could not have asked for a better experience in the midst of a bad situation than working with Mr. Gibbs. He was honest and fair and patient and kind.”
- Rebecca S.
“From the get go of the consultation, Mr Gibbs was compassionate and knowledgeable. Not once did he offer information that wasn't accurate and his advice was fair to all parties. (Because it is truly about the children's best interest)”
- Brenda D.