Jonas Family Law

Ivan Alter is an experienced Westchester county lawyer specializing in successful dispute resolution through mediation and collaborative law.

Williston Park, NY, is the home of Divorce Mediation Center of Long Island. Mediation is a tested, sensitive, intelligent approach to the resolution of separation, divorce, and custody disputes. It offers divorcing couples a more effective and humane alternative to the traditional adversarial process. With the help of a trained professional mediator, couples in mediation work out their settlement based solely on the needs of the couple and their children, not on blame or fault. Experience has indicated that settlements reached through mediation are completed more quickly and are more likely to be honored by both parties than those reached through the traditional adversarial process. An appointment will be made for the couple to be seen for a brief consultation at no charge. Questions about mediation will be answered. If you choose, you may begin the first session of mediation immediately following the consultation. Sessions are usually 1 to 1 hours. The couple and the mediator generally meet on a weekly or biweekly basis. This can be modified as needed. The entire process averages approximately six sessions. It may be fewer if there are no minor children. It may be more if there are other complicating issues to resolve. While the process is non legal, understandings are reached on all issues necessary for a Separation Agreement or a Divorce. All laws, acts, guidelines, etc. are followed. The mediator prepares a plain language Memorandum of Understanding setting forth all the terms needed for a separation or divorce with the exception of legal language and signatures. The couple may then submit the Memorandum of Understanding to their attorney s who prepare s formal, legally binding Separation Agreement, which may also be used as a basis of a Divorce at this time or in the future. Mediation is not intended to resolve past conflicts that may have led to the decision to separate or divorce. Rather, the process seeks to explore options for both the husband and wife so that they may put the past behind them and concentrate on the present and the future.