07/19/2023
Gather your documents.
a. Assets & liabilities. If you are getting divorced, you will spend a good amount of time in mediation discussing your assets and liabilities (obligations) because the mediator will need to know not only the value of each asset and liability, but also the nature of the asset/liability and how the asset/liability is titled. Some clients like to bring a detailed list of both parties’ assets and liabilities and the most recent account statements, backing up the values stated. Additionally, some clients bring in appraisals on their homes (official appraisals, real estate comps, or website estimates), and bluebooks on their cars, boats, etc.
b. Support. If the mediator will be calculating child support or if there will be discussions about alimony, the mediator will need documents pertaining to each party’s income. Usually, a couple of pay stubs and W-2s will suffice. However, if you or your spouse is self-employed, a profit and loss statement and historical loan applications that set out estimates of income may prove helpful in addition to recent income tax returns. You will also need to bring information concerning the cost of your health insurance (health, dental, and vision insurance) – the projected cost for each party individually (“employee only”) and the cost for you and your children (“employee plus children”). You may have to get this information from your respective HR departments or estimates from the web.
c. Alimony. Unlike child support, alimony in Florida is not calculated using a formula. Income is important, but alimony is not just about income. There are a number of relevant factors (see section 61.08, Florida Statutes). However, your expenses during your marriage, your current expenses, and your individual projected, post-divorce expenses, are also important to the discussion. Your mediator will probably ask you and your spouse to complete a draft of the expense section of a Long Form Financial Affidavit. (This form is available on the LINKS PAGE of our website.) Your mediator will tell you whether she needs all three types of expense data from you, but often the more information you can provide, the easier it will be for your mediator to assist you and your spouse in coming to an agreement regarding the type of alimony, the amount of alimony, and the term during which alimony will be paid.
Our mediation attorney can mediate divorce and custody cases in the Tampa Bay Area, including Hillsborough, Pinellas & Pasco counties.
