Gay Divorce Mediation in California

The ever-changing landscape of gay marriage makes gay divorce even more complicated.  States are grappling with divorcing couples who weren’t married in that state, where gay marriage may even be illegal.

Like divorce wasn’t complicated enough Peace-talks

Gay divorce mediation in California, and in any state, keeps the decision making power in the hands of the couple rather than the government.  And for a population which has traditionally been excluded by the law, rather than included (except to make certain aspects of the relationship illegal, thank you very much), staying out of “the system” may have an emotional importance as well as a legal importance.

There are lots of benefits to Divorce Mediation Los Angeles peace-talks for same sex couples.  And whether you’re legally married or not, it’s a saner way to redefine your family or terminate your relationship (or both) than relying on the court system.  Mediation is private, based on your schedule, and an LGBT-knowledgeable mediator can help you navigate not only the legal aspects to your gay divorce but also the more subtle and often complicated social aspects of same sex divorce.

And for LGBT families with children, the legal issues can become all the more complicated, especially if you’ve been casual about the legal paperwork, children’s birth certificates, formal adoptions and sperm donations.  As much as courts are responsible for the Supreme Court cases which define who’s a parent, the local courts are ill-equipped to make the heart-wrenching decisions of who’s a parent, who has parental rights, where children should live and how they should be raised.
With budget cuts and closed courtrooms, these legally complicated cases can get precious little court time.

Isn’t it worth it to try and work it out?

Consider 2 cases that we recently mediated About Peace Talks

A gay couple came in with an agreement that one partner would keep the family home and buy out the other partner.  They had never registered as domestic partners in California. Peace Talks saved them from having their property tax reassessed by first having them register as domestic partners, to preserve the tax reassessment exemption, and then dissolved the domestic partnership as soon as they reached an agreement.

A Lesbian couple came in with a dispute about custody. The biological mother had seen a lawyer who told her that her former partner had no legal rights to see the child because the adoption paperwork was never completed. Because they were fighting, this was a very heavy threat because the non-biological parent was technically not a parent at all. We were able to work out an agreement for a parenting time share that gave both moms approximately equal access to the child, and kept both parents involved in the child’s life. That was a complicated case and it took several sessions, but the end result was much better for both parents, and more child-centered, than what would have happened if they’d gone to court.

Gay divorce mediation in California lets you have these important discussions privately, with the help of a mediator who facilitates the discussion.  It’s not about circumventing the law, but about making sure the law serves you and your family in a way that respects your integrity as individuals and as a family.
For more information about gay divorce mediation in California, and mediation for LGBT and same sex couples, visit http://www.peace-talks.com/samesexservices.php.

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About the author

Peace talks is a Los Angeles family law mediation firm offering services including divorce mediation, Parenting Plan Mediation, Premarital Mediation in Los Angeles, Playa Del Ray areas.

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