Karen Brazell, M.Ed

Family Mediation and Relationship Supports

For prenuptial agreements, divorce, child support, custody, and visitation issues

For creating and preserving successful personal and business relationships

As a Virginia Supreme Court certified mediator, I have honed the skills to assist you with verbal communication and written agreements that are basic to peaceful and productive solutions. Often, using a third party, skilled in dispute resolution alternatives, is necessary to arrive at those solutions. Let me assist you with personal or business mediation before and during the partnership, or even if it must be dissolved.

A mediator is a neutral third party who assists those with disputes as they communicate and negotiate. A mediator gives no legal advice and is not an arbitrator or a judge, therefore, shows no bias and renders no decision.

A mediator can guide the process of gathering the specific information necessary to address equitable distribution of assets and will assist with respectful and appropriate communication in the process of negotiating. The mediator will then write the agreement as the parties would like it written. A mediator will suggest that each party should take the agreement to an attorney, and perhaps an accountant or other advisors, before signing the final mediated agreement.

A mediator can guide those with questions about child support issues to sources of child support guidelines that indicate suggested amounts to be contributed by each parent based on the parents’ incomes, number of children, and other variables.

Mediated agreements can be attached to court-related documents that become a court order when signed by a judge. The agreement is considered legally binding once signed by the judge.

Mediation can save time and money in the process of arriving at solutions to disputes. When parties come to the table to take their negotiations as far as possible without becoming more adversarial and involving expensive alternatives, the spirit of cooperation can speed the process and keep it less stressful for all concerned. Parties can then take the final agreement to professionals who can react to the agreement, give legal or financial advice, and assist in moving the final agreement through the legal process.

 

 


Karen Brazell, M.Ed