Mediation and Discovery Referee Services

What is a Discovery Referee:

Either by order of the court or by agreement of the parties, an attorney may be appointed to serve as a Discovery Referee. A Discovery Referee is a person that helps the parties to exchange information during the litigation phase of a lawsuit where the people involved and/or issues are complicated or there have been multiple rounds of discovery. A Discovery Referee may help explain whether a party has complied with production and participation requirements which may help the parties to reach agreements on issues that lead to a settlement of claims.

Within Family Courts in California, a Discovery Referee can help the parties reduce the costs of litigation by facilitating the exchange of information that is required between spouses. Moreover, a Discovery Referee will be able to explain to the court whether a party is playing games, has produced relevant information, and make recommendations as to what more the court might be able to do to help the parties resolve their issues.

Attorneys Leslie Abrigo and Colleen Warren serve on the Discovery Referee panel through the San Diego Family Law Bar Association and have taken the relevant training to help you resolve discovery issues. If you are looking for some assistance on the issues of obtaining records, responses to interrogatories or admissions, participation in depositions, and motions/compel or sanctions, Ms. Abrigo and Ms. Warren can offer an affordable solution to the matter. Please contact our offices for more information.

Divorce and Family Law Private Mediation

The Attorneys at Genesis Family Law are available to help you mediate your issues. Private Mediation is a process whereby our attorneys act as a neutral to help the parties meet the formal requirements to complete a divorce and to help the parties reach an agreement or full and final judgment/global settlement. The Mediator is not hired to provide legal advice to either of the parties, nor is the mediator allowed to enter an appearance “on behalf of” either party. A mediator will help guide them through their family law matter in a way that

1. helps save on attorney fees and costs,
2. helps parties to understand what a court might order in their situation,
3. help to reach a better solution than the parties will likely get from court.

Attorneys Leslie Abrigo and Colleen Warren, as part of the San Diego Family Law Bar Association ADR panel, offer affordable rates for private mediation. Moreover, Genesis Family Law offers some of the only Spanish speaking Family Law Specialists, certified by the State Bar of California as Specialists in Family Law in San Diego County. We can assist with bilingual mediation throughout the State of California through virtual meetings and in person meetings, if that is convenient to the parties. While the parties do not need to be represented by counsel during private mediation, attorneys can also contact our office to help settle cases. For more information, please contact our offices.

***A Family Law Specialist is an attorney who has taken a test administered by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization and received recommendations from peers and met all the practice requirements to state that they able to practice in a designated area of law as a Specialist in that field. In addition, Specialists, are required to meet higher numbers of continuing legal education requirements for each mandatory time period.

Take control of your future. Learn about your rights. Give us a call at our Chula Vista office at 619-422-7722 or call us at our San Diego office at 858-275-2055, or contact us online.