Guides and resources
Mediation Guides for North and South Carolina
Detailed guides on divorce, custody, property, civil, business, and estate mediation, plus local guidance for Charlotte, Huntersville, Locust, Albemarle, Rock Hill, and Fort Mill.
Practical, plain-language guides to mediation in North Carolina and South Carolina, written by attorney and certified mediator Christopher Adkins. Everything here is general information, not legal advice.
Divorce and family
Divorce Mediation in Charlotte, NC: A Guide for Mecklenburg County Couples
What mediation resolves in a Charlotte divorce, how it fits a filed case, and the NC timing rules that protect your claims.
North Carolina Family Financial Settlement Mediation Explained
Court-ordered mediated settlement conferences for property, alimony and support: rules, deadlines, fees and preparation.
Equitable Distribution Mediation in North Carolina: Dividing Property and Debt
Marital, separate and divisible property, valuation, the equal division presumption, and documenting a settlement properly.
Alimony and Postseparation Support Mediation in North Carolina
How NC spousal support is decided, how settlements are structured, and the deadline that can end the claim.
Child Support Mediation in North Carolina: Guidelines, Expenses, and Agreements
Income shares guidelines, negotiable extras, self-employment income, and writing enforceable support terms.
The Marital Home in Mediation: Keep It, Sell It, or Buy Out Your Spouse
Buyout math, refinancing deadlines, occupancy terms and tax timing for the marital home.
Dividing Retirement Accounts and Pensions in Mediation
How 401(k)s, IRAs, pensions and military retirement are divided, and the deadlines that matter.
Military Divorce Mediation in North Carolina
Military pay, retirement division, SBP deadlines, deployment parenting plans and SCRA protections.
Separation Agreements and Consent Orders: Making a Mediated Deal Enforceable
Separation agreement vs consent order, required formalities, and the clauses that prevent future litigation.
Custody and parenting
Custody Across State Lines: Mediating Parenting Plans Between North and South Carolina
Home-state jurisdiction, exchange logistics, two school calendars, and support across the NC and SC line.
NC Court Custody Mediation vs. Private Custody Mediation
Free court custody mediation compared with private mediation: cost, scope, timing, attorneys, and waivers.
How to Build a Parenting Plan That Works: A Mediator Checklist
Decision making, schedules, holidays, logistics and the clauses parents forget, plus a pre-session checklist.
Holiday, Summer, and School Break Schedules in Mediation
Holiday structures, school break definitions, summer weeks, and change rules that prevent future fights.
Relocation and Long-Distance Parenting Plans in Mediation
Best-interest relocation analysis, distance schedules, travel costs, notice clauses and jurisdiction.
Modifying Custody or Child Support Through Mediation
Substantial change standard, documenting modifications, and clauses that avoid future motions.
Business and civil
Mediating a Family Business in Divorce: Valuation and Buyout Options
Valuing a closely held business, structuring a buyout, and the terms that keep the company running.
Superior Court Mediated Settlement Conferences in North Carolina
The rules, attendance requirements, preparation and day-of process for NC superior court mediation.
Contract Dispute Mediation for Charlotte Area Businesses
Contract clauses, settlement drivers, creative terms, and preparation for commercial mediation.
Business Partner and LLC Member Disputes: Why Mediation Comes First
Buyouts, deadlock, fiduciary claims and clean exits for closely held companies.
Construction and Contractor Disputes: Mediation for Homeowners and Builders
Defects, change orders, liens and repair settlements for homeowners, builders and subs.
HOA and Neighbor Disputes in North Carolina: Prelitigation Mediation
Prelitigation HOA mediation, covered disputes, tolling, and neighbor boundary and drainage conflicts.
Personal Injury Mediation in North Carolina: What to Expect
Value drivers, contributory negligence risk, liens, insurer authority and the flow of an injury mediation.
Employment Dispute Mediation: Severance, Wages, and Workplace Conflict
Severance, wages, non-competes and workplace conflict, and the non-monetary terms that close deals.
Estates and elder
Estate and Will Dispute Mediation in North Carolina
Clerk mediation, caveats, accountings, family land and personal property division.
Guardianship and Elder Care Mediation in North Carolina
Who serves, less restrictive alternatives, care plans, finances and sibling conflict.
South Carolina
Rock Hill, SC Divorce Mediation: How Family Court Mediation Works in York County
When SC family court mediation is required, what it decides, and how a York County session runs.
Fort Mill, SC Family Mediation: Custody, Support, and Property Agreements
Custody schedules for commuting parents, SC child support, property and alimony, and how agreements become orders.
South Carolina Circuit Court Mediation: Civil Cases in York County
Mandatory circuit court ADR, case types, preparation and cross-border considerations in York County.
Local guides
Mediation in Locust, NC: Family and Civil Disputes in Stanly and Cabarrus Counties
Family, land, civil and business mediation for Locust, Stanfield, Oakboro, Midland and Albemarle, and which county hears your case.
Albemarle, NC Divorce and Custody Mediation: What Stanly County Families Should Know
How divorce, custody, estate and civil mediation work for Albemarle and Stanly County families.
Preparing for mediation
What to Bring to Divorce Mediation: A Document Checklist
A practical checklist of the documents and numbers that make a single mediation session enough.
How to Prepare for Mediation: Practical and Emotional Steps
Goals, alternatives, documents, emotional preparation and logistics for a productive session.
Understanding mediation
Mediation vs. Arbitration vs. Litigation: Choosing a Path
Cost, speed, privacy, control and appeal rights compared, and how to draft a dispute resolution clause.
Is Mediation Confidential? Privacy Rules in North and South Carolina
Privilege, inadmissibility, caucus confidentiality, exceptions and how settlement terms are treated.
Virtual Mediation: How Online Sessions Work
Breakout rooms, preparation, etiquette and enforceability for online mediation sessions.
What Happens If Mediation Does Not Settle the Case
Impasse reports, partial agreements, why cases stall, and what to do in the weeks after.
Domestic Violence, High Conflict, and Mediation: Safety First
Screening, court waivers, separate rooms and virtual sessions, and specificity for high-conflict plans.
More resources
Questions about your own situation?
Call or text (704) 231-5762 to talk about whether mediation fits your case, what it costs, and how soon we can schedule.
Offices: 9620 Sherrill Estates Road, Huntersville, NC 28078 · 217 W. Main Street, Locust, NC 28097 · Virtual sessions available.