At All Family Law Group (Lynette Silon-Laguna, P.A.) , we employ a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator to represent our clients at mediation, especially if the case involves the highly contested issues of alimony, attorney fees, equitable distribution as well as children issues.  Attorney Johanne Valois Shoffstall has been licensed by The Florida Bar since 1994 and she has been practicing exclusively in family law matters.  She is now practicing primarily as a family law mediator and she is also licensed as a Parenting Coordinator in accordance with Section 61.125, Florida Statutes.  We offer mediation services between pro se persons (without an attorney), party's represented by attorneys or to represent our clients at their mediation. 

Mediation is required in Hillsborough County and other Florida counties in a contested action prior to the judge hearing the case, unless there is an emergency situation which requires an immediate decision by the judge. Generally, mediation occurs approximately two to three months following the filing of a divorce or family law case. All of the requested financial information and documentation and completed forms such as a Financial Affidavit, must be provided prior to mediation. A family law case which requires mediation is a paternity action, where the parents are unmarried and who want to establish the paternity of the father, timesharing (custody and visitation) of the child and child support.

Mediation is a form of dispute resolution which allows the parties involved to resolve their case in a manner that is best for them, or at least they have a say in how their case is resolved. Whereas if the case goes before the court, then the judge will decide the outcome of the case. Coming to a settlement does not mean that each party will get everything that party wants. Compromise is key to successful resolution. Usually both parties wrongly feel that the other party "got everything he or she wanted."

In mediation, attorneys and their clients will usually meet with the mediator who explains the process. Then each party and his or her attorney move into separate rooms. The mediator will go between the parties and attempt to come to a resolution of all issues involved. For example, in a divorce case the issues may be child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support (alimony), the division of retirement benefits and other property, etc.

For answers to your questions about resolving your divorce and family law issues in mediation, contact the lawyer team at the law office of All Family Law Group (Lynette Silon-Laguna, P.A.) Contact us by email or call 866-719-1674, 813-902-3903 for a free initial consultation.

There are two ways to mediate your case: private and through the county. In cases which are not complex such as a paternity action where the only issues to be determined concern child custody, visitation and timesharing, then county mediation can be very beneficial. It is less expensive for county mediation; however, the amount of time to mediate your case is limited to approximately two and a half hours. Furthermore, the agreement is handwritten and fill in the blank. The mediation is not in depth. If you have issues such as retirement accounts, significant assets and debt, alimony, etc. then it is best to spend more money for a private mediation and obtain a individualized and specific, typed agreement. We work with several mediators in the Tampa Bay area who are excellent at preparing and negotiating agreements.

If you have questions regarding divorce, family law, adoption or bankruptcy, as well as foreclosure defense, contact the law firm of All Family Law Group (Lynette Silon-Laguna, P.A.) We provide a free initial consultation, accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express, and charge reasonable and competitive rates. Furthermore, to assist you we have a team of legal assistants and associate attorneys, including a Spanish-speaking associate attorney.

Our office is conveniently located in the Riverview/Brandon area on Highway 301 South directly off of Interstate 75, near the intersection of Bloomingdale Avenue. Contact our firm by e-mail or call 866-719-1674, 813-902-3903 . We will respond at our earliest opportunity!

We serve all of Hillsborough County, including Riverview, Brandon, Gibsonton, Apollo Beach, Valrico, Thonotosassa, Sun City Center, Mango, Plant City, Ruskin, and Wimauma, Florida as well as MacDill Air Force Base.