Divorce Mediation in St. Augustine

Divorce Counsel Informed by a Florida Supreme Court Certified Court Mediator

Divorce mediation gives spouses a structured setting to discuss parenting, support, property, debt, and alimony with a neutral third party. The mediator helps identify disputed issues and explore possible agreements but doesn’t decide the outcome. Each spouse retains authority over whether to accept the proposed terms.

At Canan Law, we represent clients during mediation, providing advice based on their individual rights and priorities. Our founding attorney and managing partner, Patrick T. Canan, was named a Certified Court Mediator by the Florida Supreme Court in 2002. That credential informs our understanding of mediation without changing our role as legal counsel for one spouse.

What Divorce Mediation Can Resolve

A mediated divorce may involve one disputed question or nearly every part of a dissolution of marriage. We help clients evaluate proposed terms in light of their finances, parenting responsibilities, and long-term obligations.

Common mediation topics include:

• Parenting plans and time-sharing: Decision-making responsibilities, schedules, holidays, transportation, and communication about the children.
• Child support: Financial information, applicable guidelines, health insurance, and child-related expenses.
• Property and debt: Equitable distribution, Florida’s process for dividing marital assets and liabilities.
• Alimony: Whether support is appropriate and, if so, its amount and duration under the circumstances.
• Business and retirement interests: Valuation questions and the proposed treatment of complex marital assets.

A mediator must remain neutral and can’t give either spouse individual legal advice. We can explain how a proposal may affect you, identify terms that need clarification, and review an agreement before you sign it. Mediation may not fit every situation, particularly when essential information is unavailable or concerns about safety, coercion, or meaningful participation call for another legal approach.

How the Florida Divorce Mediation Process Works

Effective negotiation begins with reliable information. We identify contested issues, review financial records and financial affidavits, and address mandatory disclosure, which requires spouses to exchange specified financial information in many Florida divorce cases.

The process may include these stages:

• Preparation: We clarify priorities, evaluate available records, and develop informed settlement positions.
• Negotiation: The spouses discuss proposals through the mediator, sometimes together and sometimes separately, depending on the mediator and circumstances.
• Written terms: Any agreement should be reduced to writing and submitted for the required court review or approval.
• Remaining disputes: Mediation may end in a full agreement, a partial agreement, or an impasse because the parties couldn’t resolve one or more issues.

The time, expense, and number of sessions depend on the disputed issues, financial complexity, court procedures, mediator, and each spouse’s willingness to negotiate.

Family Law Strategy Backed by More Than 85 Years of Combined Experience

Our family law practice covers divorce decrees, parenting and child support matters, property division, business valuations, alimony, and marital agreements. Partners Patrick Canan, Andrew Morgan, and Daniel Hilbert lead our team. We work together to test legal positions and refine case strategy, particularly when financial and parenting terms affect one another.

Courtroom Preparation Backed by More Than 250 Jury Trials

Mediation doesn’t require either spouse to accept an unfavorable proposal or reach a complete settlement. If issues remain unresolved, they can proceed toward a hearing or trial. We prepare each case strategically so settlement decisions account for the evidence, applicable law, disputed facts, and potential court proceedings.

Our attorneys have handled more than 250 jury trials across our practice areas. Divorce trials are typically decided by a judge rather than a jury, but substantial courtroom experience strengthens our ability to prepare evidence, assess contested positions, and continue representing clients after an impasse.

Divorce Mediation in St. Augustine & St. Johns County

Family law cases in the county proceed within Florida’s Seventh Judicial Circuit, which handles dissolution of marriage, parenting plans, child support, and related family law matters. Mediation may be used under Florida Family Law Rule 12.740 and applicable circuit procedures.

When spouses agree on referred child-related issues, the proposed terms may be prepared for court review. A judge must determine whether the agreement can be approved and entered as an order. We serve clients throughout the county and surrounding Northeast Florida communities.

Clarify Your Options Before Mediation

A confidential consultation can address the status of your divorce, the issues still in dispute, available financial information, parenting concerns, and whether mediation fits your circumstances. We can also explain the distinct roles of your attorney and the neutral mediator.

We bring family law guidance, collaborative case analysis, and litigation preparation to clients seeking a divorce mediation lawyer in St. Augustine. Contacting us doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship by itself, and case-specific advice requires a direct consultation.