Should You Litigate or Mediate?

When it comes to divorce, most people imagine the absolute worst to happen legally and emotionally. We hear about terrible divorces from our friends and the news, and we see stories in movies about heartbreak that typically involve a couple’s legal combat in the courtroom.

“Marriage Story” starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver has been praised by divorce lawyers for its realistic portrayal of real dynamics of litigation. In the movie, we learn that the legal system of divorce makes it difficult to reach a true win-win. It illustrates how divorce litigation is anything but just paperwork and facts. It shows why people who used to love each other eventually pursue the course of damaging one another’s reputation and credibility as much as possible in order to attain the settlement they are seeking.

3 Women in Suit Sitting

As such, audiences come away from the movie with being unable to pinpoint either person as the real villain or hero. Rather, the characters are recognized as being complicated and messy people who love each other but do not belong together. Despite the couple reaching many points of anger and exhaustion, it is evident that at no point does the couple ever truly hate one other. Rather, they are forced to their breaking point because of how challenging it is to navigate the difficult and convoluted process of divorce litigation. Moreover, we see how the combative nature of the litigation prompts lawyers to act overtly mean and invasive in order to win.

As you know, we write for the conspiracists and skeptics. We like to consider new and better alternatives to the norm. So this article is to question the narrative of divorce being the awful bureaucratic experience that it is commonly portrayed as. What if there was another way? A more friendly, fair, and communicative way?

Consider mediation. When it comes to choosing between a mediator or a family law attorney, most people prefer mediation because it is less antagonistic. Many people suffer physical health consequences because of the stress that arises through litigation in public court. In mediation, a neutral third party facilitates a resolution communicated by and agreed upon by both parties privately. Unlike a lawyer whose objective is to win a case, a mediator’s goal is to bring both parties to an agreement to what really matters: the division of assets, liabilities, and custody schedules.

McNamee Mediations is a divorce and family mediator who has been recognized as an expert Newport Beach, California. Colleen McNamee is unlike any divorce mediator we’ve reviewed. When it comes to divorce, most people don’t expect to fall in love again right before it becomes final. But some of Colleen’s clients have even reconciled during mediation instead of finalizing their divorce! She has over forty 5-star reviews on Yelp, which is astounding!

Mediation might be the right fit for you if you are looking for an alternative to litigation. If you are considering a divorce, you can give McNamee Mediations to inquire about their services.

McNamee Mediations
4590 MacArthur Blvd Suite 500, Newport Beach, CA 92660, United States

Building a New Home and a New Trust

This week, we’re going to give you a behind the scenes look at how we do our investigative reporting. We recently profiled a great landscaper, but we figured, what good what a landscaper be if you didn’t have a home and yard to landscape. We are going undercover to look at one of the top-ranked home builders in the area. Here is how it went down:

“I’m nervous,” Kelly said. She took a sip of her frozen strawberry lemonade. “It’s a huge, commitment, you know?”

“It’ll be fine, honey,” her husband, Jonathon replied. 

The spread of papers printed from various websites on their kitchen table looked daunting indeed. Home builder after home builder, each with a seemingly impressive portfolio was intimidating. How could they know which one was the best for them?

The corner of one caught Kelly’s eye. With an impressively clean layout, the home builder Sailhouse had an incredible portfolio of modern-looking homes. A quote on the front page caught her attention. 

She read aloud, “‘Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness,’ by Frank Gehry.”

“Sounds like the kind of people we’re looking for, huh?” Jonathon said. He took a sip of his own lemonade.

“It does,” Kelly said. “I think I’m going to give them a call.”

Continuing to do research on Sailhouse, Kelly found that they maintained a proud 5-star rating online with glowing reviews. Their portfolio with over a dozen projects was impressive. You could tell they had an eye for excellence. She knew this was going to be a good one.

Jonathon left the details up to his wife, but they were both excited to consult with these top-notch custom home builders in Newport Beach. Kelly, a manager for her husband, had a sharp eye for detail. She knew exactly what she wanted. Jonathon was much simpler and had only a few requirements for their dream home. Many years ago, they would sit beneath the stars and dream of designing and building their own home complete with an in-house theater and outdoor grill. At the time, it all seemed impossible. But, fortune and hard work shined on them. Now, it was finally a possibility.

Kelly smoothed out her dress one last time and stepped into the office.

Beautiful, the office spoke of modern design and an eye for practical comfort. She sank into the chair at the front of the desk. The man behind the desk seemed kindly with a welcoming smile. He reached to shake her hand.

“So, what can I do for you?” he asked.

“My husband and I saw the custom home option on your website,” she said. “We were thinking of going that route with you.”

“Of course!” he said. “That wouldn’t be a problem, what are you looking for?”

Kelly quickly described to him the general idea for their dream home, leaving spaces for him to nod and ask questions. He was incredibly understanding of her desires and ideas and even offered a few suggestions himself. 

“I just have a few more questions,” Kelly said.

“Of course,” he said.

“Do you have any examples of something similar to what we’ve discussed?” she asked.

“We do, actually,” he said. With a few clicks on the computer, he pulled up a gorgeous home at 33rd St., Newport Beach. The home captured beautiful modern architecture while allowing a callback to the kinds of homes that used to be popular in the area. It was very close to what Kelly was describing, actually.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said. “One other thing. What do you pride yourself most on?”

“Other than our hard work and desire to create the best home we can, we pride ourselves on our efficiency and professionalism.”

Kelly continued to nod and take notes. She knew where she was going to put her trust and money.

Sailhouse Custom Homes

170 Newport Center Dr Suite 220, Newport Beach, CA 92660

(949) 281-6044