One Hourly Fee — You Decide How to Split It

There’s one hourly fee for mediation—not a separate fee for each person. You and the other party decide how you want to divide the cost; we don’t require or assign a particular arrangement. Schedule sessions either in person in Fairfax County or Winchester or virtually from wherever you are.

Sessions are typically scheduled in two-hour blocks. Mediation asks a lot of you emotionally, and two hours tends to be the point where a session stays productive without leaving everyone drained. If more time is needed, we can always schedule an additional session.

Before your first session, you’ll receive materials and checklists to help you feel ready and confident going in. Coming prepared helps your session run efficiently and lets us make the most of the time together.

Come ready for an open, honest, and creative conversation. Mediation works best when both parties are willing to problem-solve together rather than dig in on fixed positions. You don’t need to have all the answers walking in — just a willingness to engage.

Mediation is meant to be a peaceful process. Each party will have the opportunity to be heard fully before any solutions are discussed. No one is rushed, and no one is spoken over. Your mediator is a neutral third party who does not take sides, offer opinions on who is “right,” or make decisions for you. Instead, we guide the conversation, keep it productive, and help surface options you may not have considered on your own.

It’s normal for a session to include difficult moments alongside productive ones — mediation makes room for both. What matters most is a genuine willingness to listen, to be heard in return, and to work toward something you can both live with.

If enough issues are resolved during your session, your mediator will draft an agreement reflecting what you’ve worked out together. Nothing discussed during mediation is final or binding until an agreement is signed and notarized — until then, everything remains tentative, and everyone has the chance to sleep on it before committing to anything. You set the pace of our process.

Once a draft is ready, you’ll have the opportunity to review it and suggest edits by email. If needed, we can reconvene for an additional session to work through any remaining questions.

You are welcome, and encouraged, to have an attorney review your agreement before signing — though it’s not required. Your mediator is a licensed Virginia attorney, but mediators are not permitted to provide legal advice during the mediation process. We can share general legal information, but decisions about your individual rights and interests are best made with independent legal counsel if you choose to consult one.

Mediation is entirely voluntary and confidential. You are always in control of whether to continue, and what is discussed in mediation stays in mediation.

Once your agreement is in a form you’re both comfortable with, we’ll guide you through the next steps to finalize it. These will depend on the nature of your dispute.