“Child custody and all matters of divorce can be emotional, complex and difficult, Ben was able to navigate both while being respectful, understanding and extremely patient and helpful. His background as a counselor, vs. a legal background, kept the process focused on the issues and not all about the legal technicalities that can make child custody more about the law then the child. We were able resolve our issues quickly which allowed us to move past the negotiations and into conversations on how to increase trust and better co-parent our child. I am very pleased with our decision to choose this route and would highly recommend Ben to anyone.”

“My wife and I found ourselves locked into disagreements ranging from parenting schedule to providing racial balance for our bi-racial children to school district choices to responsibilities of children’s items, such as a special blanket, to child support and asset division; nothing was off limits and the longer the divorce prolonged, the more misunderstanding, lack of trust and animosity grew between us. Ben was a voice of reason and compassion, that time and time again reeled us back to a place where the possibility of good will between two opposing forces took root to resolution. Ben’s approach is disarming but he challenges each party to look at the integrity hidden beneath the hurt, to honor, recognize and answer, “What is fair?””

“As a recently retired Probate and Family Court judge (after serving 23 years on the bench) I have rarely found an individual as skilled as Ben in working with High Conflict families (the parents, and the children). He is smart, funny, kind, direct, compassionate, and gets right to the point. I have seen him make tremendous progress with some of the most troubled and stuck parents that I work with. Equally impressive is his ability to help parents (even those who do not get along at all) improve their parenting of difficult teenagers. I have referred families to Ben in a steady stream, and I will continue to do so. His talent is really quite special.”

“I have known Ben for many years and was glad he finally chose to become a mediator. Families will benefit from working with him. His experience working with parents and children, parents, and divorcing couples is vast. If you choose Ben as your mediator, you will be pleased.”

“Ben is the real deal. He’s great at connecting with young people, even those who are hard to reach. He’s a wonderful listener who put parents at ease. And he’s an experienced and dedicated conflict resolution professional who helps families find solutions to even the thorniest of problems. I highly recommend him.”

“Ben Stich brings so many unique and valuable skills to his work as a mediator. He is empathic, he is always an active listener, he is never confrontational or judgmental, he instills hope that conflicts can be resolved, and as a trained social worker and mediator he understands the profound stress that all parties experience when in the midst of conflict. I have had the great honor of working with Ben for a number of years, and can truly say that all who have worked with Ben have benefited from his expertise.”

“Clear personable and caring. His style and perspectives and “tools” were very much appreciated. I could see he was modeling the mediation technique he was teaching us to use. Inspiring and motivating – thank you!!”

“You were very patient and had a very comfortable and realistic disposition. When things got too much emotionally you knew when to step back and let us have time….I think the one moment that explains my experience with your mediation services in a nut shell was when after I lost it…you completely helped ease the situation with your dry sense of humor and helped me put myself in to perspective.”

“I honestly don’t know what advice I would give you on how to be better. This has been about as smooth as we could hope for, though I guess the fact that we are on pretty amicable terms helps a bit.  Still, I appreciate your quick responsiveness and the fact that you explained every step of the process very clearly. I think we have a clear understanding about how we will proceed, at least in the short term, and I think we both feel good about it.”

“I thought the process was beneficial in having a safe / neutral place to discuss everything and hammer it all out. Things are well.  We had court about a month or so ago.   Divorce is absolute Feb 18. Thanks again.”

“You were extremely kind and generous…As far as any additional feedback about mediation…I was very happy with what I experienced, I think your policies are fair and practical and I thought your tone and style of communication were comforting and inviting. Thank you for everything.”

“You are really good at what you do and make a highly emotional experience as tolerable as possible.”

“Ben Stich was efficient, effective, skillful and considerate when managing our divorce mediation. His cost was more than fair for the services we required. He was generous with his time, never pushy, never judgmental and he was always thoughtful.”

“Ben did a great job. His calm and friendly demeanor put me at ease and made the experience a calm and reasonable affair. Showed genuine interest in the best outcome for both me and my ex. Expedient and efficient in going through the process and explains it clearly and fully, allowing us to be fully prepared when finalizing divorce. Would highly recommend Ben for people in need of a mediator.”

“The two hours went by so quickly. I feel like I have many new tools to use and bring in to my professional and personal relationships.”

“Ben guided us through the divorce process and was always available to answer any questions along the way.  He made a very stressful time much less stressful with his calm demeanor and positive approach.”

“Thank you so much for your help and guidance. You were great to work with and I appreciated your calm direction and keeping us on track. Thank you also for working within our very tight timeline. It is nice for both of us that we can now move forward.”

Hi Ben,

“Thank you so much for all your help over the past few weeks! I know that [we] would not have been able to reach so many agreements and discuss our issues in a reasonable way without your guidance…Again, many thanks for all your help with this!”

“His background as a licensed independent clinical social worker with his divorce mediation experience makes Ben a very effective mediator, especially for parents interested in putting their children first during the divorce process.”

“Working with Ben has excellent…he is really good at what he does.”

“I am so thankful that we decided on mediation for our divorce. And I am especially thankful that our paths led to Ben! Ben was not only professional, but his knack for keeping topics organized, keeping us on track and in a peaceful and efficient manner was outstanding. As we know, this is a very emotional event to begin with, but he was always most understanding, kind and thoughtful as we worked out our issues. His guidance and ability to stay neutral was impressive and he held true to his role in this process. He was knowledgeable and was able to direct us to resources outside of the process, provided us with all of the pertinent documentation and was most accessible and responsive. I would highly recommend Ben if you feel that mediation is right for you. Best wishes.”

“I found your knowledge of the divorce process to be excellent and it made for easier and less stressful mediation sessions.  Also, filling out the forms is quite intimidating, but you were able to guide us through them with ease.  That alone would have been stressful if not for your guidance.”

“Working with Ben was great as he was neutral when conversations became heated and he was able to manage the process well to keep the momentum moving…I personally appreciated the added recommendations when needed, such as a therapist for [my child].”

“Our divorce was intense and emotional for me and Ben really did a great job helping us figure out how to forge ahead. I was worried about how my husband would react to me and Ben made sure the mediation was as safe and comfortable as possible. He also made great referrals to other professionals, including a financial planner who helped me understand and gain control over my financial future. I would recommend Ben to anyone needing help resolving divorce, especially if there is a lot of conflict.”

“Ben was quick and thorough with this difficult process. He made us very comfortable throughout this process.”

“Hi Ben, we had our hearing and it was super easy thanks to you so thank you for that.  All the other people were so unorganized and we breezed right through.  Hope you had a great Holiday.”

“You don’t want to meet with Ben as it’s incredibly painful to admit the time has come to separate and divorce one’s significant other when you originally married for life. However, Ben takes the sting out of the entire matter by setting aside the emotional component and instead encourages both parties to focus on the issue at hand: the divorce agreement. He’s incredibly balanced, helpful, and patient. At times, he can serve as a therapist when you least expect it, and he’s highly confidential. I highly recommend him if you’re able to work with the party you’re leaving, as you will save a lot of money and ultimately headaches with Ben.”

“I’ve been meaning to send you a quick note, but have been so busy I keep forgetting. Our divorce was approved on 11/29/17.  The judge was happy with how we addressed everything. I cannot thank you enough for making a difficult situation unbelievably easy.”

“Ben’s services took what could have been a very costly and emotionally draining effort, and helped us get to a fair solution for the whole family. He had a full understanding of all the needed steps. He gave guidance where needed and kept us focused on what really mattered. Any couple heading to divorce should do everything they can to make mediation the starting place and there is no better than Ben Stich. I highly recommend Ben.”

“We met with Ben for a free consultation and found it to be a good way to assess whether or not mediation with Ben would work for us. Ben took his time with us and answered all of our questions, so we decided to work with him. During this most difficult and emotional time in our lives, it was important that both of us felt comfortable in this decision.

We found Ben to be easy to talk to, direct, and compassionate. He would make sure that we discussed what we were ready to talk about, and kept us on track so that we made sure to address everything necessary in order to complete our agreement. Ben was honest in his approach with us, and made sure that we understand the process every step of the way. He is available outside of appointment times via phone/email and will respond to you in a timely manner. We would recommend Ben Stich for divorce mediation services.”

“Settling all of the issues pertaining to the divorce is an emotionally draining experience. I felt you did a great job maintaining neutrality and trying to keep us on task, even when emotions were running high.  Can’t think of any [changes/suggestions] to be honest! I think it went well.”

“Thank you very much for your help in preparing the documents and your advice/guidance. We were in court yesterday and everything went smoothly. It was a pleasure working with you, and both me and [my wife] would like to thank you for your efforts.”

“I hope your morning is going well!  Thank you for the sending along the Graduation Certificate and I really got a lot out of the class.  I appreciate the feedback and continue to try to use everything I learned. Have a great day!”

“Our divorce was finalized recently. You were very kind and helpful to us at a very difficult time in our lives, Ben. You helped us work things out to get to a better place that we needed to be. Thanks so much for everything.”

“The hearing on Friday went fine. The judge did not seem concerned about any of the details in the separation agreement so it must have been reasonable. Our experience with you was very positive. It was a difficult process and you helped us navigate through some thorny issues. Thanks again for your thoughtful and professional service. Wishing you all success moving forward.”

“Our hearing was on…[and] everything went well and should be finalized by  the end of January. The entire process was great but most of all your knowledge was helpful for us. I really can’t think of anything to change at the moment I would recommend your mediation services to anyone looking to see a mediator… I have recommended you to a co worker who is going through a similar situation. Thanks again for all of your help!”

“I worked with Ben throughout my divorce mediation process and I can say without a shred of doubt that his involvement had a positive influence over the outcome. Ben is patient, methodical, knowledgeable, and he was able to provide a number of valuable references (e.g., attorneys, real-estate appraisers, financial specialists, etc.). Ben is a consummate professional and treated each of us with respect and compassion. I would highly recommend Mediation and Family Services to friends, family, and anyone who may need help with family collaboration.”

“Speaking for myself, I feel you made this process very easy.  While I understand that our situation was pretty smooth overall, at no point did I think you extended the time we spent with you unnecessarily, which is a big deal when we are being billed per hour.  I think you spent the time with us wisely and efficiently and dealt with some of our emotional outbursts in a very professional manner.  I can’t imagine what you have to deal with in a more contentious divorce, and it probably takes a lot of empathy, understanding, and patience which are qualities we could all stand to have more of. Thank you again for getting us to this point and I feel better about all three of our futures moving forward after going through this process than I did before we started.

I [also] appreciated the different point of view on a lot of subjects, and also the detail at which you went into some aspects (such as the level of hotel if I needed one), as well as you bringing up topics and subjects that we didn’t even think about (i.e. introducing new significant others, what [our daughter] is “allowed” to call them, etc.).”

“Ben Stich was very helpful during a difficult time. He is very knowledgeable, professional, helpful and kind. He completed and submitted everything in a timely manner. I would highly recommend his services.”

“Ben, I would truly like to thank you for your efforts. Without your unbiased guidance, we would not have been able to lay out a clear protocol and path that leads to success. If there exists a future key issue I would hope to again seek your services. Thank you again for your services. They truly served to benefit us and the boys. Best regards.”

“Dear Ben,
Thanks very much for the mediation session [today]! The window is not completely open but there is certainly a fresh breeze coming through it!!!!”

“In a time that is stressful, Ben made the process manageable.  His kind nature and knowledge in his field made the process smooth as well as timely.  He was extremely professional and I never once felt like he was taking sides or offering his advice.  He created a comfortable environment on which to negotiate tasks at hand.   I would recommend Ben to anyone that is looking to mediate through a divorce.

I really don’t think I would have changed a thing (other than not to be in this position).  If I could do it again the same way, I would.  You are extremely good at your job. I think your constant contact, explicit instructions and organization were all extremely helpful during this time.”

“Thank you so much for your time and expertise, Ben. [We] were impressed with the process, your calming and kind manner, and your approachability. If there ever were a case where we needed to mediate again neither one of us would hesitate to employ your services. We wish you the best, and may be in touch with you again in the future.”

“I thought you made the whole process go very smoothly, and were sensitive to our individual needs, schedules, and emotions. You were responsive, professional, and had our best interests in mind. I thought you were knowledgeable and helpful and provided your best unbiased opinions and advice. Overall, the legal and paperwork side of the experience was pretty painless and easy. Thank you!”

“Ben has been a wonderful, friendly, mediator during this tough time. At meetings both of us could focus on the important details of divorce, financial and future plans. Thank you for your patience Ben! Ben’s calm demeanor and flexible approach were invaluable as we embarked on the divorce process. He walked us through the discussion topics we needed to address and helped us move past our own roadblocks with patience. Thanks to Ben, we benefited from smooth and thorough mediation that made it feel easy.”

“Ben’s calm demeanor and flexible approach were invaluable as we embarked on the divorce process. He walked us through the discussion topics we needed to address and helped us move past our own roadblocks with patience. Thanks to Ben, we benefited from smooth and thorough mediation that made it feel easy.”

“Working with Ben was an excellent decision. He explained things clearly and made the process as smooth as it could be. Because of the pandemic we had to hold all of our meetings through Zoom, yet Ben managed to make it feel as if we were in the same room. Ben has a wonderful ability to relate to his clients, and his calm demeanor and sense of humor are real assets. I highly recommend his services.”

“Ben was great to work with. He offered neutral guidance and demonstrated knowledge of the process throughout. As everyone knows, going through a divorce is extremely hard but he made the process much easier than it would have been otherwise. I highly recommend Ben and his services!”

“We must have aced the filing because the hearing was all of two minutes long. He asked us a few questions and then said that our petition was approved and that we were all set for today. We don’t expect any further issues.

All the best with your practice, and thank you again for all of your help in this process. You are an excellent mediator!”

“Ben’s strength lies in being a calm, reassuring voice during a process that can often be stressful and contentious. Throughout our negotiations, which lasted almost a year, Ben was invaluable in explaining the complicated legal process to us.  When any conflicts would arise, he was adept at stepping back, mediating and helping us reach agreement. I would recommend him to anyone undergoing this type of life change who’s looking for someone to help them through the process.”

Just a quick note to say thank you for all your help with [our] divorce. We were finally finalized in May. You really made the process go smoothly and kept us focused on what was important. We are very fortunate as we aren’t one of the divorced couples who hate each other. I know going through mediation really helped that, and kept us from getting petty and angry with each other. I think in any other scenario, things could have become very ugly. So again, thank you!

“Ben was kind and patient, ensuring both parties were able to speak their minds and perspectives. He would ask clarifying questions if he felt it might be helpful, and summarized views in order to try and really ensure understanding could be achieved. I didn’t think there was much more that could be done in terms of a process for improvement. The breakout room near the end was also helpful for me. I think the services you provide are executed well. I think Ben fills the role as a mediator very well, and would recommend his services to anyone seeking out mediation.”

“We met with the Judge yesterday morning. Our packet was solid and he signed off on everything after some questioning. The judge asked who the mediator was – I think he was impressed at the detail and thoughtfulness on such a unique settlement, including no alimony. Thank you for your help and support along the way.”

“We have both reviewed the separation agreement and everything looks good. As we get everything signed and filed we will certainly reach out to you if we think we’d like a quick consultation prior to our hearing.

It’s been a pleasure working with you, and we really appreciate your flexibility over the past year or so. I know it’s been a long and drawn-out process between COVID and other life factors, and we appreciate you sticking with us throughout it all. The process was absolutely helpful, and we are extremely satisfied with how everything went.”

“Know that you have helped a great deal with the process and appreciate your kindness during our time with you.  Pleasure getting to know you during all calls.”

“So sorry for the long delay in responding. Life has been very busy. [We] are doing well and don’t think we need a check in session. We have had some good in person visits, and overall, communication has been much better. Thank you for the important part you played in making this happen. We appreciate your help and will certainly be in touch again should the need arise.”

“THANK YOU for your efforts with mediation.  I know you worked very hard and I want you to know that effort is and was appreciated. Happy holidays to you and your family. I hope it is a great holiday season for you and yours.”

“Ben was extremely helpful when it came to a very difficult transition in life. He was patient, organized, clear, kind, and understanding! I highly recommend his services to anyone in need. He knowledge and demeanor would make any individual feel comfortable :)”

“My husband and I had a brief marriage and sought out Ben to help us through the divorce process. We met with a couple others but I felt that he did a fantastic job balancing the emotional parts of the process and let us work through that but also kept us on task. Divorce is really hard and emotionally draining and personally I underestimated the toll it would take on my husband and I. Ben was great. He was supportive of the both of us and it never felt like he was taking sides if things got heated. Always brought it back to the present and acknowledged what the BOTH of us were going through. He is also really humble too and not one of those lawyers/psychologists that throws their credentials at you. Very fair on pricing as well.”

“Ben was a very helpful asset as we navigated through getting a divorce. He was very thorough and provided many resources that we could easily access and refer to. He was organized and made sure both parties were happy with the outcome of the division of assets. He has a gentle demeanor and made us feel at ease during a rough process.”

I hope the rest of your day was pleasant. I wanted to take the opportunity to reach out tonight with an understated thank you. Today was both emotional and intense, for me, and you made the entire experience both tolerable and amicable. You are clearly very skilled at you vocation and I really wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your facilitation through this process.

Thank you so much for your careful, attentive and thoughtful facilitation. I know it made a difference.

Our hearing was on September 28th [and] Everything went well and should be finalized by  the end of January. The entire process was great but most of all your knowledge was helpful for us. I would recommend your mediation services to anyone looking to see a mediator. Also, I have recommended you to a co worker who is going through a similar situation. Not sure if he’s gonna reach out or not but just a heads up. Thanks again for all of your help!

Hi Ben! Happy New Year. WE ARE DONE 🙂 we had our hearing back in August. It went very smoothly. You were super helpful and helped us to be prepared.

I will definitely pass you along to anyone I know going through this process.
Thank you again for all your help!
Shannon

Your insights were definitely helpful to soothe our process and better understand the whole filing process. Thank you for being flexible and providing prompt guidance to our divorce process.

I highly recommend Ben Stich for mediation/divorce services. He has good insight, patience, and sensitivity which are all important when going through the difficult process of a divorce. He walked us through each step and was very thorough in explaining everything and helped us de-escalate when arguments arose during the process of figuring out the details of our separation agreement. We were both very thankful for Ben!

Ben was incredibly helpful throughout my mediating process. A very calm presence. Ben went above and beyond for me, and even squeezed in a phone call with me — the day before our hearing as well. Fair, neutral, and considerate.

Ben Stich is the most professional, warm, and well informed mediator who makes the process of divorce a friendly place to go. Ben sent my husband and I all the paperwork that he reviewed with us in such a timely manner, we were able to amicably work together as a team! Within a month I was able to drop off my divorce paperwork this past Monday at the probate court.
I highly recommend Ben Stitch to make your life easy and to save money instead of paying lawyers thousand’s of dollars when Ben Stitch can do all the work for you and hold your hand make peace and have things work out your way.

We had the pleasure of working with Ben Stich as a mediator, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. Ben demonstrated exceptional professionalism and a deep understanding of conflict resolution. He created a calm and respectful atmosphere throughout the process, making both parties feel heard and valued.

Hey Ben,

Hope you’re doing well. Just wanted to let you know that Jes and I had our divorce hearing yesterday. It ran smoothly and was successful, so thanks for all of your guidance!

Hi Ben – we just dropped off the documents at the courthouse last Friday and are waiting to hear back on a court date. You’ve been extremely helpful and it’s been a pleasure working with you. Overall, we didn’t have anything that we would have changed with your process. The calls were very helpful and you were very good about answering our (mostly my) questions during our sessions. Our experience was very positive!

Hi Ben – just wanted to pass along the update that our hearing was quick and easy and we will be issued the formal judgement in 30 days. Again, really appreciate the help throughout this process.

Ben, you were totally respectful you were of [my child’s] pronouns and were so easy to work with. I am going to pass your name on to friends who are a queer couple. Thank you!

Thank you so much for all the help in guiding us here.  It has certainly been a journey, but I always found you to be a breath of fresh air and a truly calming presence in the most trying of times. If we end up running into more issues down the road, I will certainly reach out. Until then, wishing you success and happiness in all your endeavors.

AUDIENCE EVALUATIONS

NASW Conference Workshop: Mediation 101: Divorce and Family Conflict Resolution

  • Thank you. Very informative speaker
  • Enjoyed the activities!
  • Great informative workshop
  • Wonderful for professional and personal guidance
  • I loved / really enjoyed the activities
  • Excellent presentation – wish it was longer, so rich, not enough time
  • Awesome!
  • Good presentation. Nice activities
  • Enjoyed the interaction between presenter and group
  • Well done, so good and so useful!
  • Very helpful workshop and good to learn how social work skills can be applied differently + effectively
  • Well prepared presentation
  • Excellent presentation – wish it was longer, so rich, not enough time
  • Really interesting and really nicely presented! Ben is a credit to the social work profession
  • Great information overall topics were clear information, loved the line exercise
  • Very informative overview of family mediation. Thank you!
  • Great presenter and informative. Increased my interest on this topic!
  • Great presenter, nice interaction with group

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If you have any questions about our mediation services please send us a message.