Mediator success stories?

ApprehensiveSpare925 · 2025-12-18T22:13:44+00:00

My STBXW and I went to mediation this past Saturday. He educated her on what she could realistically get in the divorce. We actually ended up getting an agreement.

Firm-Assumption-77 · 2025-12-18T21:24:41+00:00

Painless for us. No kids, split everything 50/50, start to finish less than 90 days from the moment she said I want a divorce (10/31/25) until it is finalized 1/30/26. We are just in the waiting game with the courts. Living our own lives since 11/15/25 and I even closed on my new house just this week. I own both houses and shes my tenant, got to love that

rostoffario · 2025-12-18T20:49:13+00:00

We had good luck with a mediator here in New Orleans. She stated up front that she only mediates and if we end up going to court, she is out. She also said she could only represent one of us. I hired her at $250.00 and hour with a $3000 deposit. 4 months later and we split our assets, then filed for divorce. She did the asset division workups. I've spent $1742.00 so far. This was mainly due to our Financial Advisor having a lot of questions for her. This amount also includes the filings fees.

She told me if we can both agree on things; it will most likely cost around $2500.00 total for the divorce.

fewdo · 2025-12-18T18:42:17+00:00

Yeah. We had tried counseling a couple times and our relationship had petered out to roommates. Then we did meditation with a "I'd rather give it to you than a lawyer" vibe and we spent $3k total. She hated me for a year which I can't blame her for but we're friends now.

jimsmythee · 2025-12-18T18:14:46+00:00

I have a mediation success story. AZ all divorce with children has mandatory mediation with a mediator so the couple can make decisions without the judge. Sounds great.

But instead of that? The mediator and exwife tag teamed me. It went like this. Exwife says “if you do xxx, I’ll do yyyy.” Mediator says “Jim do you agree to do xxx?” I say yes. And then the mediator writes it into the computer, and says “exwife, do you agree to do yyy?” And she would say “let me think about it.”

Then next topic. The third time my exwife do this, I said “wait.” And the mediator said “don’t stop the momentum. we are making great progress.”

And pepper in statements from the mediator regarding 50/50 custody. “Only a horrible person would take away the children from the loving arms of their mother.”

And then at the end, the mediator said “I think we are done here!” And said “what about the promises she made to do yyy and zzz, etc.”. And the mediator hit save and printed off 2 copies and said “let’s get this signed today.” I was beaten down and defeated…

But there was a twist of fate. The notary went home sick 15 min prior. The mediator handed us 1 copy each and said “talk this to your bank and get it signed and submitted to the court.”

Once outside? I realized after a breath of fresh air? This wasn’t signed! I tossed it in the trash and texted my exwife “see you at trial!”

At trial, she submitted her signed and notarized mediation form as a “partially signed mediation agreement.”

The judge tossed it in the trash as well. And I got everything I wanted at divorce trial…. 50/50 custody for me and $0 alimony for her. I kept my house and my car. Only thing she got was half of my 401k because that was a marital asset.

Snowbirdy · 2025-12-18T17:54:57+00:00

Sort of. My divorce was highly contentious, but in the end it resolved because I brought in a high-powered mediator who was able to exercise a lot of moral persuasion to get her to settle. She was openly mendacious and disputatious, and was trying to get money that she had no right to including 20 years of premarital assets. He finally got her to settle.

Slowloris81 · 2025-12-18T16:49:08+00:00

Yes. Our mediator was great and told my stbx straight up when she was being unreasonable, paving the way for a settlement of both financial and custody issues.

WhydIJoinRedditAgain · 2025-12-18T16:38:23+00:00

My hesitancy (and why I didn’t do it) was that the one we were recommended required signing a document saying you wouldn’t go to court and I was very skeptical of that. What if I thought they were biased or straight shit at their job?

dystinct · 2025-12-18T16:03:37+00:00

Mine was pretty painless. 50/50 parenting, equal division of assets, we sold the house and paid off all debt. It was over in a couple of months.

m_tta · 2025-12-18T21:56:35+00:00

nope and I've never understood mediators. you have to pay them.

I'd rather pay an attorney who has a duty to represent me.

Title	Mediator success stories?
Author	salt_packet_tom
Upvotes	5
Comments	21
Date	December 18, 2025 3:38 PM UTC (7 months ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/Divorce_Men
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/Divorce_Men/comments/1pptv1a/mediator_success_stories/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/Divorce_Men/mediator-success-stories.1569147 https://theredarchive.com/post/1569147

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