Thank you for inquiring
into the mediation and family law services of Pittsburgh
mediator and Pennsylvania
Family Lawyer Bethany L. Notaro, Esquire. Ms. Notaro has
divided this page into two sections labeled “About
My Services” and “Pennsylvania Mediation Information.” Please
feel free to read and explore this page to answer your questions
about Pennsylvania Mediation as well as mediation and/or
representation by Bethany L. Notaro, Esquire. Please also visit
my
www.divorcenet.com sponsored divorce
lawyer and Pennsylvania divorce
information site.
About My Services: Bethany
L. Notaro offers affordable mediation services and Pennsylvania
family law and divorce representation to most Southwestern
PA counties, including Allegheny County, Westmoreland County,
Fayette County, Somerset County, Armstrong County, Lawrence
County, Butler County, Beaver County, Washington County,
and others. Ms. Notaro serves as both a mediator and a family
law attorney in these areas. Ms.
Notaro offers a FREE INITIAL PHONE CONSULTATION regarding
mediation to those clients who mention www.divorcenet.com
when calling. Ms. Notaro offers two distinct services applicable
to mediation: She is available to conduct traditional mediations,
and she is also available to draft, review and finalize
agreements from other mediators. For her own mediations,
She offers a one-hour mediation special (or the first hour
of every mediation) at a discounted rate of $100. Ms. Notaro
has two offices in Pittsburgh: Downtown Pittsburgh
and the Historical South Side of Pittsburgh, for your convenience.
In some mediation circumstances, Ms. Notaro is available
to mediate outside of her office. Please contact her for
more details regarding off-premises mediations. Ms. Notaro
offers a secure, friendly office environment to ensure
that her clients are as comfortable as possible during
mediations.
Bethany L. Notaro, Esquire is a Pennsylvania professional
mediator and Pittsburgh divorce lawyer who limits
her practice to family law cases including divorce, child support, custody,
spousal support, alimony, wills and estate matters, and
those cases arising from these areas of the law. Ms. Notaro
has her primary practice location in Pittsburgh, PA but
also proudly serves as a mediator and attorney to all of
Allegheny County and various other Pennsylvania counties.
Bethany L. Notaro is unique among Pennsylvania Family
Law Mediators and attorneys in that she has the added experience
of being an attorney who actively practices in the field
of family law. Ms. Notaro brings to the table her expertise
in the area of peaceful conflict resolution, as well as
the law on pertinent family and divorce issues. As an attorney,
Ms. Notaro is skilled in preparing prenuptial agreements
as well as Property Settlement Agreements (agreements upon
divorce). Ms. Notaro can offer her clients guidance in
all aspects of family law. She can also help in advising
her clients in making their mediated agreement official.
Ms.
Notaro is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA (BA, cum laude, Psychology), and the University
of Pittsburgh School of Law (JD). She received her training
in Conflict Resolution and her certificate in Professional
Mediation from the Pittsburgh Mediation Center, Pittsburgh,
PA. Ms. Notaro has also received training in Mediation
and Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”)
as well as Professional Divorce Mediation at the University
of Pittsburgh School of Law. Ms. Notaro is a volunteer
with various mediation organizations, and is a member of
the Family Law Sections of both the Pennsylvania and Allegheny
County Bar Associations. Ms. Notaro also serves on the
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Board of Arbitrators.
Ms. Notaro has authored several articles and legal compilations
on various Pennsylvania Family Law and Mediation topics.
Bethany L. Notaro concentrates her mediation practice
as well as her law practice solely in family law matters.
Ms. Notaro has represented numerous individuals in their
family law issues. Ms. Notaro has been witness to many
different family law and divorce related cases and situations.
Ms. Notaro keeps her mediation hourly rates low
and competitive so that her clients can receive the maximum benefits from
her time and experience.
Bethany L. Notaro has her primary practice location in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Allegheny County, PA). Ms. Notaro
works primarily in family law, which covers a broad range
of family matters such as divorce, child custody, child
support, Protection from Abuse ( PFA ), alimony, paternity,
and other domestic matters. Ms. Notaro is a mediator who
is unlike other family law mediators and lawyers in that
she is also a family law attorney, who concentrates specifically
in family law. Ms. Notaro is well suited to handle both
amicable cases that can be mediated, as well as adversarial
cases that cannot be mediated. Ms. Notaro is a lawyer and
a mediator who makes it her goal to cooperate with her
clients in handling the cases to the best of her ability.
Besides Pittsburgh, PA and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania,
Ms. Notaro represents clients in other communities such
as Bethel Park, Carnegie, Coraopolis, Cranberry Township,
Fox Chapel, Greensburg, Mars, McCandless, Monroeville,
Moon, Murrysville, New Castle, Pleasant Hills, Plum, Sewickley,
South Park, and others.
Pennsylvania Mediation Information:
If I mediate my divorce, who makes the decisions
regarding my property, custody of my kids, or whatever issue
I choose to mediate?
The answer is that YOU
do. When a divorce matter is litigated by attorneys before
a judge in a courtroom, the
ultimate decision regarding the intimate aspects of the couple’s
personal lives is determined by a judge. When a couple chooses
to mediate their divorce, they have decided to make their own
decisions regarding custody, property, etc., with a mediator
to help guide them and lay the ground rules in the process.
Mediation allows a divorcing couple to consider factors that
the legal system does not. In a courtroom, two adversarial spouses
typically have .5 hour to 5 days to present their cases, stipulations,
and all evidence collected through discovery to the judge. A
couple is very limited in the admissibility of the evidence that
they may present at trial. As a result of heavy caseloads and
numerous other divorce cases, the judge has a very limited amount
of time to think about the information presented by the spouses
and their attorneys and to make a decision. In mediation, a divorcing
couple is given unlimited time and the freedom to negotiate their
own fair agreement. The couple has the advantage of giving themselves
the time that they need to consider the things that they think
are important. In addition, the couple also has the ability,
if they choose, to consult attorneys outside of the mediation
setting regarding their agreements.
A
couple should realize that the mediator’s purpose is
not to make decisions for the divorcing couple. A mediator is
not a judge. A mediator does not have the ability to make decisions.
Rather, a mediator’s job is to guide the couple through
their own decision-making process, as well as to facilitate the
couple’s negotiations regarding their own version of a
fair agreement.
Why
mediate? Wouldn’t
I have to hire a lawyer anyway?
When a couple chooses
to mediate their divorce matter, they can address all aspects
that surface in a divorce,
from the drafting of the paperwork to “custody” of
the couple’s pets, while at the mediation. As a mediator,
I can guide the couple through the decision-making process, while
at the same time offering them suggestions and information relating
to Pennsylvania family law. As an attorney, I can assist the
couple in drafting the divorce paperwork and additional documents.
With the couple’s permission, I have the ability to draft
any documents of final settlement that the divorcing couple requests.
HOWEVER, as an attorney-mediator, I cannot and will not represent
either or both of the spouses should they choose to litigate
their divorce matter. I will not file the divorce documents,
but I can provide information relating to the filing of the documents.
In addition, I always recommend that if either of the spouses
has any doubt that the agreement is fair, or if they are having
second thoughts regarding the mediation, that they should consult
their own individual attorneys on the issue. In some circumstances,
an individual attorney may offer ways to edit and/or supplement
the mediated agreement, as well as a set of “non-neutral” eyes
to review the document on an individual spouse’s behalf.
What happens if I start
fighting with my spouse at the mediation?
A couple who has decided
to mediate their divorce should make a strong effort to leave
their personal problems “at
the door.” However, this doesn’t mean that a couple,
whose relationship has already taken the road towards divorce,
will not be tempted to fight a little when discussing heated
matters! This aside, the effect of mediation that puts spouses
face-to-face in the same room to discuss their issues has its
advantages. For one, it eliminates the “middlemen” in
negotiating agreements. When spouses hire their own individual
attorneys to negotiate a divorce, what the spouse says has to
be filtered through two professionals before it reaches the other
spouse. Imagine the inevitable changes and lapses in communication
that occur along the way! Alternatively, mediation offers a neutral
setting in which a couple can streamline their negotiations by
speaking directly to each other, with a neutral party there to “referee” the
process.
A
second answer to the same question (What happens I start fighting…?)
is that a good mediator has been trained in conflict resolution
skills to help a couple control their tempers and avoid (or at
least talk through) their fights.
What is the difference
between a mediator who is a lawyer and one who is not?
While both attorney-mediators
and non-attorney mediators have (assumedly!) been trained in
family and divorce
mediation, the type of training they receive is often different.
For instance, an attorney-mediator has obviously obtained a juris
doctor degree from a reputable law school, in addition to
mediation training. In addition, attorney-mediators and non-attorney
mediators often have different mediation styles. Some mediators
prefer to counsel (or offer therapy) and assist their clients,
while others choose a more neutral but guided approach. I prefer
the latter.
In
my opinion, an attorney-mediator can offer a divorcing couple
several advantages.
A mediator who is also a divorce lawyer can
provide the spouses with important information regarding Pennsylvania
Law to help them make their own decisions about a fair agreement.
A mediator-attorney can also assist in drafting the divorce documents
(Property Settlement Agreement, Complaint in Divorce, etc.) necessary
to obtain a final decree in divorce from the Court. In contrast
to a mediator who is not an attorney, a mediator-attorney can
draft “Court acceptable” documents, which means a
couple will not be forced to go outside of the mediation setting
to find information regarding Pennsylvania Law, and to draft
their own divorce documents (unless that is their desire, of
course). A few things to keep in mind- a mediator who is also
an attorney will not advise either of the spouses in his or her
attorney capacity. However, an attorney-mediator can help the
couple understand what a court might typically do in their own
particular situation.
Does divorce mediation
cost less than litigating a divorce?
In most situations, the answer is yes. Here
are several reasons why:
Commonly, in a divorce mediation as opposed to a litigated divorce,
Both spouses retain the mediator to resolve the divorce issues.
The spouses, if they choose, may split the cost of the mediation.
In effect, the couple saves by paying a single retainer rate
instead of two for two separate attorneys.
In mediation as opposed to divorce litigation, costly court
expenses may be avoided. Although there are a few costs that
are necessary in every divorce (i.e., the necessary fee charged
by the court for the filing of the divorce documents), a couple
can avoid many of the fees typically charged in a litigated family
matter.
An
attorney bills for each action performed on a client’s
case. An attorney will bill for each phone call, letter, document
drafted, conversation with opposing counsel, and every action
taken on a case. Each time an attorney performs an action, the
client is billed for it, typically in minimum increments of $25.00
and up, accounting for actual time spent on the activity. This
adds up! Assuming each spouse hires their own attorney, these
costs are multiplied by two. Mediation offers a cost effective
way to avoid some of the typical costs associated with having
an attorney handle every aspect of your divorce case.
What do I need to prepare
for a mediation?
Before
every mediation, I will provide the divorcing couple with a
set of documents intended to assist them in compiling information
needed for a successful mediation. In short, the information
required consists of marital values of assets, schedules related
to custody (school, summer vacations, etc.), income figures
for support purposes, and other pertinent details.
Does
mediation work faster than a traditional adversarial divorce?
In
most circumstances, yes. With proper preparation, a couple
can mediate all aspects of their divorce, from custody
and support to division of property, in about 3 to 20 mediation
hours, possibly in multiple sessions. A one count, no fault divorce
takes a minimum of 90 days from the date of acceptance of service.
I
don’t want my child to have to be a witness in court!
Can I mediate custody matters?
Absolutely.
As a matter of fact, mediation offers a comfortable setting
and a neutral environment for parents,
and also kids, if they choose, to talk about their needs regarding
custody. Mediation is an alternative to costly and painful custody
litigation. Mediation empowers Moms and Dads to work together
to come up with an agreement that is best for the kids, without
putting the kids in the middle of a battle.
Can
I mediate a child support agreement?
Yes.
A couple can work out a fair number for a support obligation
in a mediated setting. As an attorney-mediator,
I have the ability to compute estimates of a parent’s child
and/or spousal support obligation, based on income and expense
information. The figures that I compute are often very similar
to those that a court would determine. Additionally, I can offer
information that the couple may utilize in making the support
figure payable through the court system, if that is their desire.
Is
mediation right for everyone?
While
mediation is a great alternative for most divorcing couples,
mediation is not for everyone. Spouses who
have experienced or are victims to domestic violence probably
should not try mediation. Because the purpose of mediation is
to empower each spouse to “speak up” and voice their
own individual concerns in a neutral, comfortable setting, a
spouse who has experienced domestic violence may not have the
ability or may not want to subject themselves to this type of
environment.
Please
also visit my firm site: http://www.PaLegalServices.com.
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