DuPage County Divorce Lawyers Work to Educate the Public about Divorce Mediation

OAK BROOK, IL, July 03, 2011 (Press-News.org) Attorneys J. Richard Kulerski and Kari L. Cornelison, partners in the Oak Brook, Ill. divorce law firm, are using the power of the Internet to educate divorcing couples on the intricacies of the legal system in the Chicago area. Concerned about a growing trend among their clients - the belief that mediation is an inexpensive alternative to attorney fees - Mr. Kulerski has turned to blogging and other online platforms to help answer questions about the process.

According to Mr. Kulerski, attorneys who practice divorce and family law regularly receive calls from prospective clients in which the clients say something to the effect of, "My spouse and I are thinking of getting a divorce, and we have already agreed on everything, so we are looking for a mediator."

Many people believe mediation to be synonymous with simple, fast, and inexpensive. Mr. Kulerski advises that mediation is actually more expensive than the public realizes. Even after a couple pays the mediator to help them settle their differences, they'll still need to hire attorneys to finalize the paperwork and to shepherd the mediated result through the court system. "Mediators cannot take a settlement to court to get it finalized," says Kulerski. "Very few non-lawyers are capable of properly presenting their case in divorce court."

There are many questions people hesitate to call an attorney to ask, but to which they need an answer. Since the Internet is often the first place people in need of information turn, Mr. Kulerski feels it makes sense to talk about divorce law online. Mr. Kulerski now regularly answers these types of inquiries on his blog and other popular sites devoted to divorce and family law issues.

"We think it is simply good business for us to pass legal information on to the public," Kulerski maintains. "Besides, it always very fulfilling to be able to share something you know, with someone who wants to know it. It's similar to giving directions to a lost motorist - giving this type of help always brightens the giver's day."

As for the couple featured in the phone call above, Mr. Kulerski says, "Mediation is not what they need, nor is it their least costly alternative. They have already settled their differences, so all they need is for one of them to hire a divorce lawyer to draw up their papers and then process their case through the legal system."

The Law Firm of Kulerski and Cornelison has offices in downtown Chicago (Cook County) and in suburban Oak Brook (DuPage County), IL.

For more information call 630-928-0600, or visit civilizeddivorce.com. Questions can also be directed to either Kari L. Cornelison (kc@illinoislegal.com) or to J. Richard Kulerski (rk@illinoislegal.com).

Richard and Kari are enthusiastic practitioners of divorce mediation, collaborative law, and cooperative divorce law, and use all three to help couples minimize the pain and cost commonly associated with the legal system.