Picking a Divorce Mediator
Divorce Mediators in private practice are not yet licensed in either New York. However, it is recommended that a Divorce Mediator be knowledgeable about family law, family counseling, child development, and the mediation process. Since 1994, we have worked with hundreds of couples going through the divorce process. We believe that we can help you and your spouse dissolve your marriage with dignity and with as few harmful effects as possible on you and any children of the marriage.
In picking a Divorce Mediator, ask how many mediations that person has completed. Many people are just adding mediation to another practice area and may have done only five or ten mediations so far. Equally important, ask the Divorce Mediator if he or she limits their mediation practice solely to Divorce Mediation. Beware of mediators who do NOT limit their practice to Divorce Mediation, but rather handle federal discrimination cases, Post Office mediators regarding conflicts at work, Stock Market mediations involving disputes between a brokerage account owner and his or her Stock Broker, nursing home disputes, etc.
Mr. Leininger has been a certified Divorce Mediator since 1994 and has limited his mediation practice for 30 years solely to Divorce Mediation. He has mediated well over 870 divorces to completion, with hundreds of those mediations involving multi-million dollars of assets, and with some mediation cases involving marital assets of between $10,000,000 and $15,000,000. Most of his recent mediations since Covid have been via Zoom videoconferencing. Recently, Mr. Leininger successfully completed a divorce mediation involving over ten million dollars quickly and at a cost of less than $9,000! We believe that Mr. Leininger, who was the first certified Divorce Mediator in Staten Island in 1994, is one of the most experienced attorney Divorce Mediators working with Staten Islanders! While mediation isn't the only alternative to an ugly divorce experience, it is one to seriously consider. Make a list of pros and cons for your specific situation, and weigh the facts for yourself. The 10-15 minutes you spend on your list could well be worth the effort!
Also, see What is Divorce Mediation and Benefits of Divorce Mediation