Heartland Family Mediators, LLC (HFM) provides family mediation services in Indiana. At HFM we help couples work through the complexities of navigating divorce and resolving family issues. If your family is facing a hard time, HFM may be your best option to find the services you need for you and your family.
HFM mediators represent a wide range of professions. Among the disciplines represented are law, psychology, family and couples counselling, business transition and financial planning. Our method is child-centered and family-focused. Services include divorce mediation; no attorney divorce; economic independence strategies following divorce, psychological services for families with special needs children; family and couples counseling; and collaborative divorce referrals.
What differentiates HFM from other mediation organizations? It is our professional staff and their collaboration together. HFM professionals only approach clients through mediation. However, they continue to operate their professional practices separately. HFM mediators may refer clients to these professionals and mediators may be authorized to brief the professional regarding their intake information. This may reduce what can be a painful repetition of your story over and over again as you meet with other helping professionals. Mediators at HFM also collaborate together to help clients by sharing their respective expertise. What this means is that HFM mediators are experienced at helping couples deal with virtually all of the aspects of divorce. This unique characteristic of HFM’s structure contributes to the streamlining of our processes and it can result in significantly reduced fees.
Among the top reasons most couples facing divorce consider using an attorney are financial concerns. Most people want to be fair. All people worry about the uncertainty ahead. How will I maintain my lifestyle in the aftermath of divorce? How will I manage the inevitable impact the divorce will have on my finances and my long term financial security? Jim Johnson, an experienced financial planner, assists clients in gaining clarity and perspective of the economic world ahead after a divorce. He also helps people find peace in the budget realities they will face going forward. When considering an equitable division of assets, Jim helps couples explore the tax consequences of selling certain assets, explains how investment accounts can be divided to fit each person’s benefit, proposes strategies to avoid tax penalties, and most importantly helps add financial knowledge to bolster each person’s confidence in making the economic decisions that must be made. Jim’s over 40 years of experience in the financial industry, broad education in the areas of taxation, insurance, investments and ethics allows Jim to stand out among family mediators in our community.
Many people upon first contacting HFM are very emotional. Some express concerns they may need professional assistance handling their emotions. The difficulty and the nature of the divorce situation itself, the anger frequently arising from hurt and sense of loss being experienced, maybe even rage at feeling they have never been able to have their story heard…..any of these emotional challenges are difficult to navigate. Our method can include an option for emotional assessment which could suggest a need for therapy or counselling. HFM has two mediators available with extensive experience as therapists/counselors in their private practices for just these situations.
Louanne Davis is a mediator but she also is a psychologist with profound sensitivity, insights and skills in the areas of family counseling, particularly in high stress situations. Louanne has extensive experience in managing the issues associated with PTSD.
Priscilla Johnson is a mediator but she also is a therapist with broad experience in helping families and children who are in crisis. Priscilla also has experience in counseling parents and families having special needs children.
Both Louanne and Priscilla are able to meet clients where they are and both help clients navigate the complicated emotions frequently experienced in the wake of divorce. It is important to know that a client being served by an HFM professional mediator will not also be served by that professional in private practice at the same time.
At HFM we provide referrals to experienced attorneys for drafting legal documents associated with divorce. These documents are provided directly to clients by the attorneys and at very reasonable cost. The most common document is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) – used to divide retirement plans in a divorce property settlement. Other documents frequently drafted by attorneys in the divorce setting include Spousal Maintenance Agreements – used generally to voluntarily provide long term economic security to one spouse in situations where there is a significant income disparity, Property Settlement Agreements – used to divide both simple and complex assets but usually over extended periods of time. Examples could include the sale and division of or the refinancing of the Marital Residence when the timing of making a sale or refinancing may be poor or impossible, stock options, real estate holdings other than the Marital Residence, partnership interests, valuation of closely held stock, etc…
Heartland Family Mediators can be your one stop shop for getting answers and help in navigating one of the most difficult challenges of your life. Our processes have been crafted in ways to make the navigation as painless as it can be in the situation. We are focused on families, children and on Peace. And we do these things keeping in mind what is most important…. happiness and Peace for you, your spouse and your children for the rest of your lives.