Massachusetts Divorce Mediation

[bboulanger]

My wife and I have filed for uncontested divorce. Our appearance before the judge was denied due to fact the agreement my wife and I signed "was not fair and equitable". So we have to redo the agreement. I feel that I need help getting this across the finish line and want to work with a mediator to help us get there. The only assets to divide are my 401K and my Social Security. I can't imagine the mediation will take more than an hour. How much should I pay? The paperwork is 99% done and we don't have much to split.

 

[quincy]

My wife and I have filed for uncontested divorce. Our appearance before the judge was denied due to fact the agreement my wife and I signed "was not fair and equitable". So we have to redo the agreement. I feel that I need help getting this across the finish line and want to work with a mediator to help us get there. The only assets to divide are my 401K and my Social Security. I can't imagine the mediation will take more than an hour. How much should I pay? The paperwork is 99% done and we don't have much to split.

Yours is not a legal question.

 

[zddoodah]

Our appearance before the judge was denied due to fact the agreement my wife and I signed "was not fair and equitable". So we have to redo the agreement. I feel that I need help getting this across the finish line and want to work with a mediator to help us get there.

Why would you want a mediator? If the divorce is "uncontested" and you had an agreement made, what is there to mediate? The judge didn't just reject your agreement; he/she actually explained why it wasn't "fair and equitable," right? If so, all you need to do is tweak whatever the judge mentioned. If the judge didn't explain his/her ruling, then you probably need an attorney to help you figure it out.

How much should I pay?

In my experience, mediators charge between $5-15k per day.

 

[bboulanger]

It was the court clerk that told us we had to redo our agreement. I had about 350k In assets, she claims that she has nothing. She said that she didn’t want any money from me. Keep in mind that 250k of my assets was proceeds from home sale. She got 250 also but that has “been spent”. Now she ( alcoholic and gambler ) has no money and is demanding that I pay her now! She’s drunk all the time and I want a mediator to deal with her because I’m out of patience.

 

[Zigner]

Your question is how much you should pay the mediator.
My answer is: However much you and the mediator agree upon.

As for your additional statement in post #4, it sounds to me like you no longer have an uncontested divorce.

 

[adjusterjack]

It was the court clerk that told us we had to redo our agreement. I had about 350k In assets, she claims that she has nothing. She said that she didn’t want any money from me. Keep in mind that 250k of my assets was proceeds from home sale. She got 250 also but that has “been spent”. Now she ( alcoholic and gambler ) has no money and is demanding that I pay her now! She’s drunk all the time and I want a mediator to deal with her because I’m out of patience.

Now the real story comes out.

 

[quincy]

It was the court clerk that told us we had to redo our agreement. I had about 350k In assets, she claims that she has nothing. She said that she didn’t want any money from me. Keep in mind that 250k of my assets was proceeds from home sale. She got 250 also but that has “been spent”. Now she ( alcoholic and gambler ) has no money and is demanding that I pay her now! She’s drunk all the time and I want a mediator to deal with her because I’m out of patience.

A court clerk told you that your agreement had to be redone?

 

[Just Blue]

A court clerk told you that your agreement had to be redone?

Yeah...a court clerk should not be doing that.

 

[Bali Hai Again]

I had a court clerk in my divorce case that was also a real pain and tried to make decisions that he had no business making. His last name was actually Dick.

 

[AlmostThere]

It was the court clerk that told us we had to redo our agreement. I had about 350k In assets, she claims that she has nothing. She said that she didn’t want any money from me. Keep in mind that 250k of my assets was proceeds from home sale. She got 250 also but that has “been spent”. Now she ( alcoholic and gambler ) has no money and is demanding that I pay her now! She’s drunk all the time and I want a mediator to deal with her because I’m out of patience.

Did the judge in post 1 tell you that it had to be redone, or the court clerk in post 4?

It might be worth hiring an attorney to review things for you.

 

[Bali Hai Again]

OP hiring a lawyer won’t get him anywhere with a kangaroo court. It appears the judge and/or law clerk wants the divorce to be contested so the court can use their wide discretionary power in these matters to award the woman more.

 

[Zigner]

OP hiring a lawyer won’t get him anywhere with a kangaroo court. It appears the judge and/or law clerk wants the divorce to be contested so the court can use their wide discretionary power in these matters to award the woman more.

Now now, Bali. I thought you were past all that bitterness.