Welcome to Ask An Attorney. Today’s question comes from Portland. The writer wants to know how long it takes to mediate.

My name is Steven Leskin. I’m a divorce and family law attorney in Portland, Oregon.

Mediation can take an hour. It could take days. It could occur over the course of a month or so. The way I do mediation is I set a definite time for my divorce mediations. I set a time that it will start and a time that it will finish. Whatever issues are not resolved at the end of the mediation, the attorney need makes the final decisions. That’s unusual. That’s a hybrid mediation binding arbitration model, but I find that it’s effective because the deadline forces people to make a decision, and if they can make the decision, they know that they’re dispute is going to be over on that date – and then I’ll apply to Oregon law impartially to come to a fair result based on my understanding of the law.

I am a divorce and family law attorney in Portland. Please visit www.leskinlaw.com, where you’ll see a place there to submit your questions.

Thank you. -Steven