THE PROCESS
Divorce without
escalating conflict.
A structured, attorney-led framework that resolves matters out of court and without escalating conflict. Sessions are intentional, decisions are informed, experts are available to help plan and the timeline belongs to you.
01
The Fit
NO CHARGE CONSULTATION
A brief introductory call where Christina hears the shape of your situation and you ask the questions that matter. The purpose is honest: not every matter belongs in mediation, and not every mediator is the right fit. We decide together before anyone signs anything.
- A frank conversation about complexity, conflict, and goals
- Clear answers on cost, cadence, and what comes next
- A direct recommendation either way (mediation, or another route)
02
Strategic Intake
BEFORE OUR FIRST SESSION
Financial documents, intake forms, and a focused set of questions are completed in advance. By the time we meet, the issues are identified and everyone is clear on the areas in need of more information or mediation. Mediation time is spent on collaboration, next steps and solutions.
- Asset and liability disclosure with secure document handling
- Goals and constraints from each spouse, captured separately
- A working agenda ready for the initial session
03
Initial Session
APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS
A working meeting to set the agenda, establish opening positions, and identify which specialists belong in the room. Business valuators, financial neutrals, and family-systems therapists are scheduled when (and only when) the matter calls for them.
- Issues are sequenced (what we resolve first, what waits)
- Specialists are identified and scoped, not stacked
- A realistic cadence for the remaining sessions is set
04
Measured Resolution
SPACED SESSIONS
Sessions are spaced to your family’s pace. Time between meetings is when information is gathered, advice is taken, and decisions are made without pressure. Because both parties receive the same accurate information together in real time, this is where conflict and anxiety tend to quiet down and the real work gets done.
- Each session ends with clear action items
- Independent counsel may be consulted between sessions
- Position changes are documented as the focus sharpens and interests align
05
The Exit Strategy
DRAFTED, REVIEWED, FILED
A Memorandum of Understanding is drafted by your Attorney/Mediator from the agreed upon terms throughout the mediation process. Once approved by the parties the Memorandum of Understanding can be reviewed by each spouse with independent counsel if desired. Provided there are no substantive changes, and a Final Agreement is reached, it is drafted into the appropriate legal documents by an attorney and filed with the court for approval.
THE CONTAINED ADVANTAGE
How we protect your interests differently
We honor your agency. Instead of handing your divorce to the legal system, you remain the architect of your future. We provide you with the necessary resources to make informed and smart decisions.
Task-Oriented Progress
You leave each session with a clear roadmap about next steps, which may include meeting with one of our network of neutrals, all experienced in family law.
Expert Integration
Access to our carefully curated list of financial planners or child specialists to solve specific complexities without escalating the legal conflict.
Investment in Change
You aren’t paying for a “fight”; you are investing in a sustainable dynamic for your post-divorce life while navigating the legal construct of dissolving your marriage.
IN ADVERSARIAL LITIGATION:
Your case is filed publicly; assets, accusation, and family details enter the court record.
Strategy is driven by what the other side files, not by what your family needs.
Hourly billing is keyed to motions and responses, which incentivizes more motions and responses.
Decisions about your business, your retirement, and your children are made by a judge who knows neither.
Communication routes through opposing counsel, which slows everything and inflames most things.
IN THE CONTAINED DIVORCE:
The matter is resolved privately. Only the final order is filed; the conversation never enters the public record.
Strategy is set with you, not against you. Sessions follow an agenda you helped write.
Fees are scoped to sessions and specialists, so the bill maps to actual work, not to motion volume.
The people who know your business and your family make the decisions about them. We help structure those decisions.
Communication happens at the table, in the same room, with a neutral guiding the conversation.
BETTER THAN TEMPLATES
Beyond AI and DIY apps.
AI-assisted divorce platforms and form-based services have a place. For a couple with a short marriage, no children, and a checking account, they can be genuinely useful.
They are not built for what happens when a business needs to be valued, a partnership agreement needs to be unwound, a child has needs that resist a default custody template, or a retirement account spans three decades and two states. They are also not built to hold the conversation in the room, which is most of the actual work.
What we provide is judgment in the moment. A trained mediator who has sat across the table from these issues before, attorneys and neutrals who can be pulled in when the matter calls for them, and a process that adapts to your family rather than the other way around.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
We have answers.
Divorce, handled differently.
Serving all of Utah
This website is for general information and is not legal advice. Reviewing this site, contacting Christina Zavell, or submitting a consultation request does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Mediator is not acting in the capacity of representing either party. Christina Zavell, Esq., is licensed to practice law in the State of Utah.