Michele Martin, financial advisor and divorce
mediator, has launched Divorce Agree,
a business offering divorce mediation services
in Malta.
Mediation is a non-adversarial and cost effective
option available to divorcing couples,
she explained. In New York, a divorce that goes
to trial can cost upward of $50,000 or more,
whereas a mediated divorce might cost between
$2,000 and $7,000.
“I believe the way a couple handles their divorce dictates the tone of the rest of their lives,” said Martin. “My ex-husband and I mediated our divorce several years ago and today we have a very amicable relationship and are partners in parenting our son and I attribute much of that to the fact that we mediated our divorce. I am excited to assist couples achieve the best possible outcome for their family.”
According to Martin, divorce mediation, when pursued, has a 90 percent success rate in coming to settlement agreements that keeps couples out of court and studies show that mediated agreements are more likely to be honored by the parties than litigated settlements. Because of this more and more courts in the u.S. are ordering couples try mediation before taking their divorce to the courts.
Prior to training to be a divorce mediator, Martin spent 20 years in the financial services industry and she holds a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) designation. A CDFA assists clients to understand how the financial decisions made today will impact their financial future.
“My background as a financial adviser is an added benefit to my clients in creating financial solutions that afford both parties the ability to remain on a solid financial footing post-divorce,” she said.
Martin offers couples a free consultation to educate them on mediation as well as the other options available to them Divorce Agree is located in Malta Commons. The phone number is 813-6098 and its website is www.divorceagree.com.