For residents of Chautauqua County, and couples all throughout Long Island and New York, divorce mediation can represent a valuable way to simplify the process of ending a marriage. While divorce is always complex, and often emotionally challenging, many couples find mediation to be a less stressful alternative to the traditional litigation process.
As both a divorce mediator and matrimonial and family law attorney, Mr. Darren Shapiro knows there are situation in which litigation may be the best option for certain couples. However, he regularly suggests mediation as an option to clients when it’s appropriate for their case.
Over the years, Mr. Shapiro has witnessed the evidence that mediation can be a successful strategy for many couples hoping to avoid the stress and complexity often associated with traditional divorce proceedings. Unfortunately, while many Chautauqua County couples have experienced the benefits of mediation in the past, they’ve often been limited in their choices for which mediator to work with.
Now that virtual mediation is an option, couples have more freedom than ever before to choose the professional best suited to their needs. Here’s why many clients choose to work with Mr. Shapiro.
The westernmost county in the state of New York, Chautauqua County is a historical region, known for its ties to the long-lost Erie language, and its rich cultural background. It’s the residence of some significant landmarks, from the Dunkirk lighthouse, the Fenton History Center.
Of course, Chautauqua County is also home to a wide number of couples and families, each with their own unique challenges, dynamics, and goals when it comes to managing the divorce process. While there are over 127,000 residents in Chautauqua County, the number of mediators has been limited in the past. That’s because traditional mediation sessions typically took place face-to-face.
This meant couples keen to reduce their commute times and travel costs were forced to rely on mediators close to home, regardless of whether they appealed to their specific needs. For many Chautauqua County residents, driving to Mr. Shapiro’s office in Jericho, Nassau County, New York would have been impossible.
However, the legal landscape has changed since the pandemic, allowing mediators to connect with clients in a wide range of counties and spaces, using video conferencing platforms like Zoom. The rise of video conferencing software, combined with the ability to e-file documents with New York Courts has given clients more freedom.
It means that Mr. Shapiro can offer his services to clients throughout New York, while still allowing them to enjoy a comfortable experience from the comfort of their own home.
Divorce Mediators in Chautauqua County can come to their profession from a range of backgrounds. Some start their careers in psychology, while others focus on financial planning. While mediators with these backgrounds can benefit a wide range of clients, many of the couples who seek divorce mediation services from Mr. Shapiro note that his unique skill set, and experience are particularly valuable.
As a family law attorney, with more than 20 years of experience handling a wide range of cases related to divorce, separation agreements, equitable distribution and child custody agreements, Mr. Shapiro’s experience can be extremely useful in divorce mediation.
He has a unique understanding of how the courts manage family law cases, how decisions are made, and which challenges his clients often need to overcome. Since he was admitted to the State Bar in New York in 1999, Mr. Shapiro has worked on countless different cases with couples from various different backgrounds.
This means he can share unique perspectives and information with his clients throughout the mediation journey. He can help couples understand how the courts may view the decisions they make, and assist them in making mutually beneficial agreements that streamline the mediation process.
He does this objectively, ensuring each client in his mediation sessions receives the same amount of respect, and attention, whether they’re connecting face-to-face or virtually.
Aside from having an extensive background in divorce and family law, Mr. Shapiro’s unique approach to delivering mediation sessions also helps to set him apart from the competition. Mr. Shapiro began offering divorce mediation services to couples alongside his services as a traditional family law attorney several years ago, after he discovered his calling for family law.
Following an impactful experience with the Suffolk County Assigned Panel, Mr. Shapiro opened his own family law office, and began searching for effective ways to offer the broadest range of effective services to his clients. He discovered that mediation could be a powerful way to support clients in search of alternative ways to manage the divorce journey.
By offering mediation services alongside his experience as a litigator, Mr. Shapiro could offer clients a way to avoid some of the stresses of traditional litigation. Now that virtual mediation has become an option, he can deliver those services to residents of Chautauqua County in a flexible and convenient way. Whether he’s engaging with clients face-to-face or through virtual means, Mr. Shapiro uses a range of techniques to ensure sessions are as effective as possible.
His experience as a family lawyer means he can use evaluative mediation strategies to share insights with clients about their agreements, helping them to pinpoint issues that might lead to disruptions in divorce proceedings. His training as a mediator ensures he can help to ensure both clients feel represented and heard during mediation sessions, with techniques like interest-based negotiation, which give each client a chance to air their concerns and priorities.
Plus, with facilitative mediation strategies, he can help to guide the flow of discussions in a positive direction, understanding the reasoning behind the concerns and issues each client raises.
Divorce mediation might not be the ideal option for every couple navigating the divorce journey, but it has proven to be a valuable option for many of Mr. Shapiro’s clients. Now that he can offer virtual sessions to couples throughout New York and Long Island, Mr. Shapiro can give Chautauqua County residents the freedom to work with him as their mediator from the comfort of their own home.
Couples in search of a mediator that can offer tailored support, family law expertise, and strategic guidance throughout the divorce journey can contact Mr. Shapiro to learn more about how virtual mediation sessions work. You can also use the contact form on this website or our phone number to reach out and arrange an initial consultation with yourself and your partner.
Mr. Shapiro and his team looks forward to helping you through the divorce mediation journey.
