Florida circuit courts require mediation before most contested family law hearings — so families in Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties who face divorce, timesharing, or support disputes must attempt mediation before a judge hears their case. 

Ann M. Goade, Esq., is a Florida Supreme Court-certified family mediator who has resolved those disputes exclusively through mediation since 1993. ACR Advanced Practitioner in Family Law (2006). 

Family law mediation is a structured, confidential negotiation process in which a certified neutral facilitates a written agreement between the parties, allowing both sides to resolve contested divorce, timesharing, child support, alimony, and property issues without a judge imposing the outcome. 

Schedule a mediation or call (772) 288-7275.

Florida Requires Mediation Before Most Family Court Hearings — Here Is What That Means

Under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.740, Florida circuit courts require parties in contested divorce, timesharing, and support cases to attempt mediation before a judge hears disputed issues. 

The 19th Judicial Circuit serving Martin County, the 15th Judicial Circuit serving Palm Beach County, and the 19th Judicial Circuit serving St. Lucie County all enforce this requirement, so mediation is not a choice most Treasure Coast families make voluntarily. It is a procedural step that must occur before the court calendar moves forward.

The practical consequence is significant. Families who complete mediation successfully remove their contested issues from the circuit court docket entirely — so they resolve family law matters in a single structured session rather than waiting 12 to 24 months for a final hearing date. 

Families who treat mediation as a procedural box to check rather than a genuine opportunity for negotiation miss the cost savings, reduced timeline, and agreement durability that successful mediation delivers.

Ann M. Goade, Esq., conducts family law mediation as a certified neutral who does not represent either party, holds no financial interest in the outcome, and has no prior attorney-client relationship with either side. 

All mediation communications are confidential and protected from use as evidence in subsequent circuit court proceedings under Florida Statute §44.405 — so both parties can communicate their actual settlement priorities without those communications entering the public court record.

What Family Law Mediation Resolves

Ann M. Goade, Esq. mediates every contested family law issue category that Treasure Coast circuit courts hear, so families address all disputed matters in a single mediation engagement rather than returning to court on separate issues:

Contested Issue	Florida Law	What the Mediated Agreement Covers
Divorce and dissolution	§61.052	Grounds, filing requirements, dissolution terms
Timesharing and parenting plans	§61.13	Parenting plan, holiday schedule, decision-making authority
Child support	§61.30	Guideline income calculations, expense sharing, and modification terms
Alimony	§61.08	Type, duration, amount, payment method, termination triggers
Equitable distribution	§61.075	Asset inventory, debt allocation, transfer deadlines, logistics
Paternity and parental rights	§742.031	Parental rights, timesharing, and support for unmarried parents
Pro Se mediation	Rule 1.720	Structured sessions for self-represented parties without attorneys
LGBTQ families and domesticpartnershipsp	Florida family court	Dissolution, parenting plans, domestic partnership agreements

Mediation is not the right process in every case. Ann M. Goade, Esq. screens every intake for domestic violence, coercive control, and safety concerns under Florida Statute §44.102(2)(c) — so mediation proceeds only when both parties can negotiate safely and in good faith.

What the Actual Cost Difference Looks Like

The Florida Bar’s 2023 Economics and Law Office Management Survey documents median attorney fees of $15,000 to $50,000 per party for contested Florida family law cases reaching a final hearing. 

Ann M. Goade, Esq. charges $300 per hour with a two-hour minimum — so the floor cost is $600 split equally between both parties, billed in 15-minute increments after the minimum.

Cost Factor	Mediation with Ann M. Goade, Esq.	Contested Florida Circuit Court Litigation
Professional fee	$300/hour — $600 minimum split equally	$15,000–$50,000+ per party — Florida Bar 2023
Billing	15-minute increments after a 2-hour minimum	Hourly across all filings, hearings, and depositions
Timeline	Single session resolves most cases	12–24 months in the Florida circuit court
Filing fee	~$408 standard Florida circuit court fee	$408 plus sequential motion and hearing fees
Agreement drafting	Included — Ann M. Goade, Esq. drafts agreement	Separate attorney drafting fee per document
Court submission	Included — Ann M. Goade, Esq., handles all paperwork	Attorney billing per filing event
Post-judgment returns	Lower — parties who own their terms return less	Higher — imposed terms generate more modifications

Contact Ann M. Goade, Esq. at (772) 288-7275 to discuss fees before scheduling.

What to Bring and What to Expect

Preparation determines how much of the session is spent on fact-gathering versus actual negotiation. Parties who arrive at mediation with complete financial documentation and a clear priorities list resolve their contested issues faster and at lower total cost than parties who require document gathering during the paid session.

Bring to Mediation	Why It Matters
Recent pay stubs and the last two tax returns	Establishes verified income for child support and alimony calculations under Florida §61.30 and §61.08
Bank and retirement account statements	Enables equitable distribution negotiation under Florida §61.075 without estimation
Complete debt inventory	Prevents incomplete debt allocation that produces post-agreement disputes
Monthly household expense documentation	Supports realistic support figure negotiation for both child support and alimony
Proposed parenting schedule if children are involved	Gives the session a concrete timesharing starting point under Florida §61.13
Priorities list with non-negotiables identified	Focuses session time on decisions that matter most and shortens the negotiation process

Ann M. Goade, Esq. contacts both parties and their attorneys before every session to confirm the complete document list, verify financial disclosure requirements under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285, and establish the session agenda — so no party arrives without the information needed to negotiate a complete written agreement.

Treasure Coast families ready to resolve their family law matter without extended court timelines —schedule a mediation with Ann M. Goade, Esq. or call (772) 288-7275.

How Does a Family Law Mediation Session Run With Ann M. Goade, Esq.?

Ann M. Goade, Esq., conducts every family law mediation session in three phases that produce a signed, court-ready agreement for most Treasure Coast families in a single day.

Opening phase 

Ann M. Goade, Esq,. opens with both parties present to confirm confidentiality protections under Florida Statute §44.405, establish communication ground rules, and confirm the session agenda. The opening phase sets the tone for productive negotiation rather than adversarial positioning.

Negotiation phase

 Ann M. Goade, Esq., conducts private caucuses with each party and their attorney separately, so both parties communicate their actual priorities without direct confrontation driving the session off course. 

Ann M. Goade, Esq.’s legal training as a licensed attorney in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee gives both parties precise, realistic guidance on how Treasure Coast circuit court judges evaluate each contested issue — so both parties negotiate from an informed position rather than from assumptions about likely judicial outcomes.

Agreement phase 

Ann M. Goade, Esq. converts every agreed term into specific, enforceable language — amounts, dates, deadlines, parenting exchange logistics, reimbursement rules, and modification triggers. Both parties sign the mediated settlement agreement before the session concludes. 

Ann M. Goade, Esq., handles all required paperwork and submits the completed agreement to the Florida circuit court for incorporation into the final judgment, so parties leave with a complete resolution and no outstanding administrative steps.

Sessions that do not reach full agreement produce either a partial agreement — legally binding on all resolved issues under Florida law — or a complete impasse that returns all contested issues to the circuit court. 

A partial agreement significantly reduces the scope of the contested hearing, even when full resolution is not reached. Learn more about the mediation process Ann M. Goade, Esq. uses with Treasure Coast families.

Why the Mediated Agreement Holds Up Better Than a Litigated Judgment

Parties who negotiate their own mediated terms understand those terms directly, so they return to the Florida circuit court on modification actions at significantly lower rates than parties whose terms were judicially imposed. 

The durability advantage compounds over time: a mediated parenting plan that both parents negotiated and accepted produces fewer post-judgment enforcement motions, fewer attorney fees in modification proceedings, and less ongoing conflict for the children those plans govern.

Ann M. Goade, Esq. drafts mediated settlement agreements in legally precise language that Florida circuit court judges incorporate into final judgments without requiring additional revision or clarification — so agreement durability begins with the drafting quality, not just the negotiation quality.

What Clients and Attorneys Say About Ann M. Goade, Esq.

“Ms. Goade is a phenomenal mediator. I have been practicing law for 20 years, and Ms. Goade is by far one of the best mediators I have ever worked with. She is dynamic in her negotiations, gifted in calming clients down, and unprecedented in closing the deal.” 

“Ann was able to mediate the few things we had not agreed on, formatted the agreement, and made changes until it was acceptable to both of us, filed it with the court, and 3 days later, it was finalized. I am thankful for Ann — she was a blessing.” — Chris,

“Ann was the THIRD mediator we had for our divorce, and she got things done. Finally, it is over. Great job.” 

“I felt so comfortable conversing with her. That nervous feeling was gone. Her method of mediation was positive. I am satisfied with the results and agreements.” 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is family law mediation, and why does Florida require it? 

Florida family law mediation is a structured, confidential negotiation process in which a Florida Supreme Court-certified neutral helps parties reach a written agreement on contested issues of divorce, timesharing, support, and property. Florida courts require mediation under Rule 12.740 before most contested family hearings — so it is a procedural requirement, not an optional step, for most Treasure Coast families.

How much does family law mediation cost with Ann M. Goade, Esq.? 

Ann M. Goade, Esq. charges $300 per hour with a two-hour minimum, so the minimum total is $600, split equally between both parties. The Florida Bar’s 2023 Economics Survey documents that contested litigation generates $15,000 to $50,000 or more in attorney fees per party, making mediation the significantly lower-cost path to resolution.

What documents do parties need for a productive family law mediation session? 

Parties attending family law mediation with Ann M. Goade, Esq., bring pay stubs, tax returns, bank and retirement statements, debt balances, and monthly expense documentation required under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285. Ann M. Goade, Esq,. confirms the complete document list during pre-session intake, so no party arrives unprepared.

Is family law mediation in Florida confidential? 

All mediation communications are confidential and protected from use as evidence in subsequent Florida circuit court proceedings under Florida Statute §44.405. A signed mediated settlement agreement becomes part of the court record when incorporated into the final judgment — but the negotiation communications that produced it remain confidential.

What happens if mediation does not reach a full agreement? 

Family law mediation that does not reach full agreement produces either a partial agreement — legally binding on resolved issues — or a complete impasse that returns all contested issues to the Florida circuit court judge. A partial agreement reduces the scope of the contested final hearing even when full resolution is not reached, saving both time and attorney fees.

Can self-represented parties use family law mediation in Florida? 

Self-represented parties access Pro Se mediation with Ann M. Goade, Esq. — a structured neutral process that serves parties without retained litigation attorneys across Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties at the same $300/hour rate.

Does Ann M. Goade, Es,q. Offer virtual mediation for Florida families? 

Ann M. Goade, Esq. conducts all mediation sessions via Zoom video conferencing — so Florida families can access certified family law mediation from any location in the state without traveling to her Palm City, Florida office.

What makes the mediated agreement more durable than a litigated judgment? 

Parties who negotiate their own mediated terms understand those terms directly and return to the Florida circuit court on modification actions at significantly lower rates than parties whose terms were judicially imposed. Ann M. Goade, Esq. drafts every agreement in legally precise language that Florida circuit court judges incorporate without additional revision — so durability starts with the drafting quality.

Can parties bring an attorney to mediation with Ann M. Goade, Esq.? 

Parties attending family law mediation with Ann M. Goade, E,sq. may bring retained litigation attorneys to the session. Attorneys’ presence does not change the mediator’s neutral role — Ann M. Goade, Esq. does not represent either party, provide legal advice, or take sides, regardless of whether attorneys are present.

What happens after both parties sign the mediated settlement agreement? 

Ann M. Goade, Esq., handles all required paperwork and submits the completed mediated settlement agreement to the Florida circuit court for incorporation into the final judgment of dissolution — so Treasure Coast families leave mediation with a complete, binding, court-ready resolution and no outstanding administrative steps.