Don't Hesitate . . . Mediate and Save Thousands of $$$

Patti Johnson • August 21, 2025

Introduction

Family law disputes, such as divorce, child custody, spousal support, and property division, are inherently complex—legally, emotionally, and financially. When couples or families face such challenges, they must decide how to resolve their disputes. This can be a choice by the parties to sit down together and lay out a parenting plan, decide how to divide their assets and debts, support issues etc. OR the parties can elect to work through a third party to aid in the communication process sometimes called mediation. 

Can an LDA Save You Money---YES!

Divorce City 911 applies a low-cost mediation approach to assist individuals to determine a fair and equitable solution to divorce or legal separation. This has proven to be most effective where parties are mainly in agreement and recognize the high cost of hiring attorneys for litigation; hard-earned money that could be saved for their own bank accounts or retirement. 


After providing self-help services to the public for many years and establishing a solid reputation in the community, I did not accomplish this alone. Throughout the years, I have relied upon reputable family law attorneys to provide legal advice to my customers to aid in the process. Since I cannot give legal advice, I often refer people to an attorney for consultation to provide legal counsel when needed to proceed uncontested. The attorney consultation fee is well worth it. A self-help service can only work with your help and at your direction. Divorce City 911 works hand in hand with attorneys and other third-party professionals to make your case processes through the court system as smoothly as possible. The purpose of an attorney consultation is to get answers to legal questions; you have no commitment or obligation to hire at that point. 


Before Hiring an Attorney, Call Divorce City 911. Our goal is to reach a mutually acceptable agreement on the issues at hand. If in our initial conversation, it is apparent there is no reasonable way to resolve your marital issues, I would strongly recommend and encourage you to consult with an attorney specializing in family law.


Litigation may be the best or only choice you have when one party refuses to participate or negotiate in good faith. The point I am attempting to make is be sure to weigh the time and cost of litigation and never file in anger. 


Should You Hire an Attorney? Some cases are headed for trial regardless of the issues involved. However, many of those people naively do not realize the attorney retainer is just for starters and gone in a flash. Then, the average $450 to $500 hourly rate kicks into gear. Every phone call, email or any contact with your attorney is billable. Court rejections . . . you pay to correct mistakes, no matter where the fault lies, it is all billable hours. Legal fees accumulate into thousands and thousands of dollars. In extremely difficult cases, you may have no choice but to litigate with attorneys. 


What attorneys don't tell you is when you run out of money, you run out of access to your lawyer. The attorney can then file a motion to withdraw as your attorney of record. Now you are on your own, which is where I usually get a call. You cannot expect your lawyer to work for "free", so it is important to know how your attorney fees are used and if your money is being used wisely. 


The LDA Practice. Let's face it, the average person just can't afford it. Hence, the only alternative to high-cost legal fees are document preparation services like Divorce City 911. Remember, all doc prep services are not created equal, do your homework and check ratings and reviews. 


In Conclusion. Each family’s circumstances are unique. Factors such as the nature of the dispute, the parties’ willingness to communicate, the complexity of the issues, and support obligations all play a role in making appropriate choices for you and your family. 

Disclaimer: Divorce City 911 are not attorneys and is a legal document service that is owned and operated by Patti Johnson, registered in Kern County, California LDA #105. The contents contained in this blog are the opinions of the author and should not be construed as legal advice. Anyone seeking legal advice must consult with an attorney licensed by the State of California.

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