Helping Hands Document

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Helping Hands Document and Mediation Services

Fall Special one hour of Mediation is Free with your paper work for the month of November call for more information .

Helping Hands Mediation is a full service mediation Company for Pro Se Clients who wish to end their Marriage or Relationship with as little stress and cost as possible .We are devoted to helping couples address, and successfully resolve all issues.
As a Certified Family Law Mediator I have dedicated this practice to helping couples mediate all of the issues involved in their separation or divorce (child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support also know as alimony, division of assets and liabilities, creating parenting plans, step parent Adoptions, Modification prior orders, Relocation Requests , pre nuptual agreements, legal seperations agreements,etc.) We also help with Supreme Court approved forms and packets to make filing easy. We serve and help with clients file Divorce or otherFamily issues in Pasco County, Pinellas County , Hernando County and Hillsborough County .and all other Florida Counties .
We also offer a QDRO.Services
We are experienced in preparing Qualified Domestic Relations Orders as well as the division of Military or Government Retirement Plans
If you are contemplating a legal separation or divorce or any family matter in Florida and have considered consulting with a attorney or have consulted with a attorney and can't afford a lengthy and expensive legal battle . You may first want to explore the benefits of working together with a Certified mediator in divorce mediation. Divorce mediation will not only save you and your spouse the considerable time and expense of an adversarial legal proceeding, but it will also shelter you and your children from the most harmful emotional effects of your divorce or separation.

That is why mediation is especially useful for couples who must retain some sort of relationship, parental or otherwise, after the divorce.By the end of many traditional divorces, couples end up paying huge legal fees and they hate each other, which doesnt serve as a good beginner for post-divorce relations
For these reasons, divorce or Seperation mediation is a procedure that more and more couples are using to help them.

Uncontested divorce is the way most people divorce. It's simple and inexpensive, and it offers you and your spouse the chance to end your marriage quietly and with dignity. It's not right for everybody, but it's right for many couples. Divorce can be the single most important event in your life. Make sure you gather lots of information so you can make informed decisions.I suggest youspeek with an attorney so you know your rights or go on line and reveiw Florida Statues chapter 61for a complete understanding of the law . Many people can benefit from the guidence of a trained mediator even whem they are in completeagreement . I have see many times couples who did their own divorce or MSA and did not word it properly or left things out that came back to effect them down the road when they where trying to modify the agreementlater . We help clients in Hernando County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, and Hillsborough County. Our service area includes Tampa, Clearwater, Largo, New Port Richey, Port Richey , Hudson, Spring Hill ,Brooksville, Dade City, Zepherhills , Lutz , Land O Lakes , Holiday , Tarpon Springs , Palm Harbor , and the New Tampa areaand Down Town Tampa area . Allthough we can help even if the parties who live in anycounty in Florida You can contact us at 727-992-3039 or email us at info@hhdmservices.com for more information.
If you have already reached agreement between all (or most) issues with your spouse, and have drawn up your own "marital settlement agreement" (MSA) that you have prepared. The Mediator can go over theMSA and use that as your starting point. A Mediator uses theirEducation ,training and experience in prepairing the mediation agreeement . That way you have the assurance that you and your spouse's property are protected, you are protected from debt liability, and that all other matters are thoroughly addressed and cannot be reopened down the road. The MSA will be sent to the court to become a final court order. You may schedule a joint session for mediation, bringing with you the agreements that you have reached so that an MSA can be prepared accordingly.
Divorce mediation still feels like a new idea in some parts of the country, but it's increasingly well-known and widely accepted. Mediation means different things to different people.You and your spouse would sit down in the same room with each other and with a neutral mediator. With the mediator's help, you would work through all the issues you need to resolve so the two of you can get through your divorce.
The mediator remains neutral between the parties.
A trained mediator work with parties involved in disputes to help them reach mutually acceptable resolutions. Rather than focusing on who is right or wrong, mediators assist the petitioners and respondents in reaching a mutually satisfactory settlement. Mediation facilitates early and voluntary resolution of issues, as opposed to a court-imposed judgment; that is, parties decide the outcome of the mediation conference. Mediation touches people in all walks of life, ranging from issues such as neighborhood arguments to dissolution of marriage to business disputes .
Mediation is a cooperative; problem-solving process that gives couples the opportunity to control the decisions that will affect their future. Mediation allows couples to deal with their separation or divorce outside of a courtroom setting, and usually is less costly both financially and emotionally -- than litigation. A mediator helps you identify the points on which you already agree, then works with you and your spouse to create practical, informed solutions to the others. Then reduce the agreement to writing in the format that the court wants.

All issues related to marriage dissolution and in domestic proceedings between unmarried parents may be referred to mediation. All post-judgment family law cases must participate in mediation before a hearing can be scheduled with the judge or the general master. Issues mediated include temporary support, personal property distribution, custody and visitation.

You're welcome to bring your lawyer to mediation if you want to, or you can use your lawyer as an adviser between sessions. You may also have your attorney review the agreement before you sign it .
Mediation is voluntary. It continues only for so long as all three of you - you, your spouse, and the mediator -- want it to. Your mediator has to have a good reason to withdraw. You or your spouse can withdraw from mediation at any time, for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all.
People often ask, "Does mediation really work?" In a word, yes. Statistics show that when you compare couples who have mediated their divorce with couples who go through an adversarial divorce, mediating couples are more likely to be satisfied with the process and the results, likely to take less time and spend less money, and are less likely to go back to court later to fight about something.
The main advantage of mediation is that it keeps you and your spouse in control of your own divorce. That can make all the difference in your recovering from your divorce and moving on with your life. Mediation allows the two of you to get through your divorce with less conflict than you would experience in an adversarial divorce. Because mediation is all about working with shared knowledge and that can often translate to more money for you.
What Should a Marital Settlement Agreement Cover?
A good marital settlement agreement should cover each and every term of the divorce or seperating parties , including those that the parties believe dont need to be put in writing. Usually, a marital settlement agreement contains the following at a minimum:

A Parenting Agreement (where applicable), which sets out legal custody, a visitation schedule, and all other issues relating to raising the minor children;
A child support order (where applicable), addressing the amount of child support to be paid per month, how the child support is to be paid, when the child support terminates, and any penalties for delinquent payments;
A spousal support order (where applicable), stating whether the support is short or long term, the amount of the monthly support, how said support is to be paid, when and under what conditions the support will terminate, and whether the support is reviewable or non-reviewable;
A detailed list of the personal property, furnishings, and automobiles each party is to keep;
A provision regarding what is to happen to each and every financial account jointly owned by the parties;
A provision relating to what is to become of the marital home or non martial property owned by either party (where applicable);
Detailed instructions regarding how the parties are to file their income tax returns in the future;
A provision detailing the total amount of marital debt and which party is responsible for which debt; and
A provision stating how the parties shall resolve any disputes that arise between them in the future.

The main reason for having aMediator or Attorneys prepare the Agreement is They I have seen a variety of issues come back to haunt parties who didnt have air tight marital settlement agreements covering a multitude of contingencies. The Mediator or Attorney will be able to suggest proper legal language, highlight any important terms or Issues that you may have missed, and ensure that your protected later should any issues arise .
Finally, no matter who drafts your marital settlement agreement, make sure that you read, read, and read it again. Highlight any terms and wording that you dont understand. Do not sign a marital settlement agreement until you are certain that you understand every word on every page of the agreement. Knowing the terms of your divorce backwards and forwards is the most important thing you can do to protect your rights in the future.

Voluntary - You can leave at any time for any reason, or no reason.
Collaborative - As no participant in mediation can impose anything on anyone, everyone is motivated to work together to solve the issues and reach best agreements.
Controlled - Each participant has complete decision-making power and a veto over each and every provision of any mediated agreement. Nothing can be imposed on you.
Confidential - Mediation is generally confidential, as you desire and agree, be that by statute, contract, rules of evidence and/or privilege. Mediation discussions and all materials developed for a mediation are generally not admissible in any subsequent court or other contested proceeding, except for a finalized and signed mediated agreement. Your mediator is obligated to describe the extent of mediation confidentiality and exceptions to that confidentiality. The extent of confidentiality for any "caucus meetings" (meetings between the mediator and individual parties) should also be defined.
Informed - The mediation process offers a full opportunity to obtain and incorporate legal and other expert information and advice. Individual or mutually acceptable experts can be retained. Expert advice is never determinative in mediation. The participants always retain decision-making power. Mediators are bound to encourage parties to obtain legal counsel and to advise them to have any mediated agreement involving legal issues reviewed by independent legal counsel prior to signing. Whether legal advice is sought is, ultimately, a decision of each mediation participant.
Impartial, Neutral, Balanced and Safe - The mediator has an equal and balanced responsibility to assist each mediating party and cannot favor the interests of any one party over another, nor should the mediator favor a particular result in the mediation. Your mediator is ethically obligated to acknowledge any substantive bias on issues in discussion. The mediator's role is to ensure that parties reach agreements in a voluntarily and informed manner, and not as a result of coercion or intimidation.
Self-Responsible and Satisfying - Based upon having actively participated in voluntarily resolving issues, participant satisfaction and the likelihood of compliance are found to be elevated through mediation compared to court options.

My Specialty is Family Mediation. We also offer
Low cost alternative to completing Florida Supreme Court Approved forms for people who wish to file pro se contested and uncontested
(Without an attorney)

Eviction Paper work and proceedures .
Trained in Residential Mortgage Foreclosures pursuant to new administrative Order AOSC09-54.
On Court Appointed Mediator list for Family and County Meditations in Pasco and Hernando County Florida

Weprovide fast, friendly services.
Services our available in our office or yours, home, hospital, nursing home, by mail or email.
Walk-ins are always welcome; however, appointments are appreciated and always recommended. Clients with scheduled appointments receive preference.
Business hours are Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5.30 PM
Saturday Appointments are availableby appointment only Twice a Month on a rotating basis call for dates and times available each month.

Please be advised I am aSupreme Court Certified Family Mediator not an attorney I do not give legal advice or tax advice.
I only help you reach a mutual agreement. If you need legal advice please contact a Licensed FloridaAttorney in your area. Remember the hiring of a Professionalin this area should not be solelybased on advertising or pricebut on experience.