You stay in control
You and your spouse shape both the process and the outcome, instead of handing those decisions to the court.
When a marriage ends, the legal process doesn't have to become a war. Divorce mediation gives Orange County families a private, faster, and far less expensive way forward — one where you and your spouse, not a judge, decide how your lives are reorganized.
At Trials & Tech, Chris Waters serves as a neutral mediator. That word matters: a mediator doesn't represent either spouse and doesn't take sides. The role is to help both of you communicate, understand your options, and reach an agreement you can both live with. With 25 years of legal experience — including time inside the courtroom — Chris knows exactly what litigation looks like, which is precisely why he believes most families are better served by staying out of it.
Mediation is a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Instead of two attorneys arguing your case to a judge who meets your family for only a few minutes, you and your spouse sit down — in person or over Zoom — with an impartial mediator who guides the conversation toward agreement.
The mediator does not impose decisions or order outcomes. You stay in control. You craft the result that fits your family, rather than accepting whatever a judge decides after a brief hearing. Everything but the final judgment happens outside the courtroom, so the process stays private and confidential.
You and your spouse shape both the process and the outcome, instead of handing those decisions to the court.
A litigated divorce in California commonly runs into many thousands of dollars per spouse once attorneys, discovery, and court time are added up. Mediation is typically a fraction of that.
Contested divorces often stretch beyond a year. Mediation usually wraps in a matter of sessions — you schedule around your life, not a crowded court calendar. (California still requires a minimum waiting period before any divorce is final, but mediation removes most of the other delays.)
Your finances and your family's circumstances stay out of the public record.
When parents learn to solve problems together instead of fighting through lawyers, they co-parent better afterward. Children feel safer seeing their parents cooperate.
Sessions can be conducted by Zoom or phone, with documents reviewed and signed remotely.
There's a common belief that going to court will “validate” your side and deliver justice. In practice, litigation often delivers expense, delay, and a result neither party fully chose. The better question is usually: why wouldn't you mediate?
Nearly every issue in a California divorce can be mediated, including:
Even when you don't agree on everything at first, mediation often resolves most issues — and every issue you settle is one less thing to fight over or pay a court to decide.
We talk through your situation and whether mediation is a fit.
If it's a fit, we begin.
In person, by Zoom, or by phone, we work through custody, support, property, and the other issues, over as many sessions as your situation needs.
The terms are documented in a written settlement agreement.
California requires both spouses to exchange financial disclosures and file the dissolution paperwork. As a neutral, Chris doesn't represent either spouse, so the parties handle those filings themselves, or with their own attorney or a document preparer; mediation settles the terms they reflect.
Once the agreement is signed and submitted, the court enters your dissolution judgment.
Because the mediator is neutral, each spouse is encouraged to have the final agreement reviewed by their own independent attorney before signing. Mediation and independent legal advice work well together.
We publish our rates because you deserve to know what something costs before you call:
Most local mediators and firms hide their pricing. We don't.
Resolution shouldn't depend on the size of your bank account. Trials & Tech sets aside a limited number of pro bono mediation sessions for individuals and families who qualify based on financial need. If cost is the only thing standing between you and a fair resolution, please reach out — every request is reviewed confidentially. See our Pro Bono page →
25 years of legal experience and real trial work — Chris understands what you're avoiding by mediating, and why it's usually worth avoiding.
With Orange County families served at the Lamoreaux Justice Center and beyond.
Mediate from wherever you are.
No mystery, no friction.
The mediation conversation itself is not. But once you and your spouse sign your agreement and it's entered by the court as part of your judgment, it is fully binding — just like any other divorce judgment.
The mediator is neutral and does not give either spouse legal advice or represent either of you. You're encouraged to have your own attorney review the final agreement before you sign. Many people mediate first and use a lawyer only for that review, which keeps costs low.
Often just a few sessions over a couple of months. California law requires a minimum waiting period before any divorce becomes final, but mediation eliminates most of the other delays that drag litigated cases past a year.
Mediation is $250 per hour, and your first 30-minute consultation is free. Total cost depends on the complexity of your issues and how cooperative both spouses are — but it is typically far less than a litigated divorce.
That's normal. Mediation can resolve some or most issues, and anything unresolved can still go to court. Every issue you settle saves time, money, and stress.
Yes. Sessions can be conducted by Zoom or phone, including remote document review and signing.
We offer pro bono mediation for those who qualify based on financial need. Reach out and we'll review your request confidentially.
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Book your free 30-minute consultation, or call (888) 983-9097. Let's find out whether mediation is the right path for you.