Brian James
Free
Divorce Mediator Expert
Brian James Quick Facts
- Main Areas
- Peaceful Divorces
Brian James is an experienced Divorce and Family Mediator with offices throughout Chicagoland and Southeaste
Wisconsin. He started his mediation practice, C.E.L. and Associates, in late 2005.
Brian earned his B.S. in Sociology from Northern Illinois University in 1994 and completed training in Mediation and Conflict Resolution at Northweste
University.
The first 10 years of his professional career, Brian worked in the Criminal Justice System helping domestic violence and divorcing families resolve family conflicts. He assisted with the healing process that took place after these life-changing events had occurred. His approach to mediation is client driven. By aiding his clients with the resolution of their divorce issues outside of the courtroom, Mr. James helps create a win/win situation for all parties in a divorce.
He is able to help people work through their problems, and at the same time, give them skills to use in future conflicts. With mediation, we help people work through their conflicts while teaching them problem solving, empathy; self-determination and giving them the ability to make informed decisions for themselves. When confronted with a conflict, if they refer back to what they learned in mediation, I will have achieved my objective.
Articles by this expert
SelfGrowth articles and saved writing connected to this expert.
Article
The Benefits of Co-Mediation: Seeing Both Sides of Every Story
Every situation has two complex and unique perspectives and the ability to interpret, empathize and identify with each side is a benefit divorcing couples must not take lightly. Having a mediation team composed of a male and a female allows C.E.L. and Associates to offer an approach to mediation that produces results that other firms cannot hope to achieve.
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Surviving the Emotional Loss of a Loved One: Mediation can Help you Deal with the Causes of Divorce
Mediation, by nature and definition, bridges the emotional gulf that can exist between couples, both during and after a divorce. The need to assess priorities, explore opinions, and achieve compromises requires mediators to learn as much as possible about their client’s current relationship with each other so that both parties feel they are being heard and understood. Because the ultimate goal of mediation is mutual satisfaction with the settlement agreement, a good mediator has to listen, understand, and interpret the wide variety of emotions every couple brings to mediation.
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Making Child Care Changes Work For You
While it is always advantageous to maintain consistency when a couple is establishing two separate households there are always some gaps. One primary area where some coordination is required is the question of child care. Whether it is a nanny, housekeeper, or babysitter, it is often difficult for parents to use the same child care professional in both homes. Different localities and financial considerations often require a parent to seek out their own nanny. This has advantages and disadvantages.
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Co-Parenting After a Divorce—Tips from a Mediator
Co-parenting starts the day the decision is made to divorce has been made. Even the most amicable divorces need a plan for future co-parenting. Putting your children's best interests first, no matter how much you may dislike the other parent, is the key to co-parenting.
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Continuity in the Care of Your Children
Consistency is something that I think most people desire as part of their lives. Though change brings the opportunity for new beginnings and renewal, the things that give us a "sameness" are comforting. This is especially true for children. The people and things that remain consistent and steady make children feel safe and secure. But the advent of a separation and divorce can shake that feeling of security for children. There are ways to minimize the emotional impact of change in your children's lives.
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Teacher Conferences and School Progress - Important for Divorced or Divorcing Parents
In many parts of the country, the school year has just started. If you are going through a divorce or are already divorced, have you talked about or planned how you and the other parent are going to communicate about your child’s school activities?
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The Dilemma of Health Insurance After Divorce
When looking at this issue it is easy to be mislead into thinking that there are easy solutions to this problem. Current research gives some very pat answers to a question that is extremely complex. The key to understanding the insurance dilemma facing divorced spouses is to look at long term solutions and to understand the need for an advisor to negotiate the process.
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Use Mediation to Save Money During the Holiday Season
Planning for the holidays begins long before they occur and starts with making the best use of our resources year-round. The expenses we incur associated with separation and divorce become even more critical because each partner is facing the loss of an income, two households, and most importantly, the needs of the children. At times like the holiday season many people look back over the funds they have spent throughout the year and wonder how they could have made better financial decisions.
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Article
The Dilemma of Health Insurance after Divorce
When looking at this issue it is easy to be misled into thinking that there are easy solutions to this problem. Current research gives some very pat answers to a question that is extremely complex. The key to understanding the insurance dilemma facing divorced spouses is to look at long term solutions and to understand the need for an advisor to negotiate the process.
Recently added
Article
Consider Co-Mediation for Divorce
Couples filing for divorce should be aware of a new service called co mediation. In a traditional divorce, both husband and wife hire a divorce atto ey. Couples are encouraged to fight for what they want with a divorce atto ey. And the result is a divorce process that takes months or years to complete.
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The Fork in the Road: Which way you travel is Important
Whenever we meet bumps in the road, there is usually more than one path to choose. We make these choices as we choose a school, a career, a home, and a mate. But these choices, like all choices, are rarely written in stone. One of the beauties of life is that we get to evaluate and consider our decisions many times and make changes and adjustments as time goes on. These decisions don’t come without stress, effort, and pain, such as the choice to end a marriage. But simply choosing to end a marriage doesn’t mean that all the decisions are made.
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Article
Child Support: Why Don’t People Pay?
As a mediator, I work with many couples who must agree upon a Child Support amount that makes sense to them and benefits their children the most. In the State of Illinois, where I practice, Child Support is based on a fixed percentage of the giver's "net" income. The more children you have, the higher the percentage applied.
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Contacting Brian James
Brian James
C.E.L. & Associates, Inc.
Divorce Mediation & Therapy Services
www.yourdivorce.org
www.startmakingsenseofdivorce.com
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/2/6ba/133
(312) 524-5829 (cell)
(847) 249-0570 (fax)