C. E. L & Associates

It seems strange to be saying something very positive about a divorce experience, but here I am. When my ex and I decided to end our 11 year marriage (it was a mutual decision and we were on good terms) we decided to hire a mediation team instead of attorneys. Neither of us wanted to bring the interests of outside attorneys into our private lives.
Brian James and Ellen Feldman guided us through the maze of choices and commitments we had to make and together we discussed our options and made decisions based on the best interests of our children and fairness/​equity between us. Once the agreement was completed, they recommended that we have it reviewed by an attorney and presented to the court by an attorney. The attorney they referred us to was fantastic and stuck to a negotiated flat fee.
I especially appreciated Brian’s ideas around co-​parenting. We had no idea how to set up a schedule, and his creative suggestions resulted in a schedule that is very manageable — and our kids love it.

Brian and Ellen really helped my ex-​husband and I divorce in a very civil way. They were both kind, but firm and helped us negotiate the difficulties of splitting up a household with kids. They made me feel like they weren’t taking sides, they explained what was fair and expected of both of us. We completed the process in a timely manner and never had an unproductive meeting. They had great referrals for outside providers for us to use to help us (accountants, a lawyer to file the papers in court etc) and really made the process bearable.
We ended up spending a fraction of what it would have cost if we went the traditional route with each of us having an attorney.

I wanted my divorce to be amicable, so that my kids wouldn’t suffer or see ill will between their parents. I thought using an intermediary would be less expensive and less unpleasant than using separate attorneys. That was not the case.
Mr. James’ knowledge of the law is not on par with that of an attorney. When I showed my current attorney a copy of the agreement he drew up for us a few years ago, she told me there were many problems with it and she would never have let me sign such an agreement. It included ill defined terms that left me unsure what fees I’m responsible for paying. Additionally, Mr. James said it’s normal for a man paying child support to include extra money. My ex and I estimated that if I pay an extra 10% above the 32% minimum for 3 kids in Illinois, that would cover any extra fees. But the language didn’t specify that, so I ended up having to pay the fees twice, every year. Further, we didn’t take into account that the activities associated with those fees, such as religious school and summer camp, would end. When the kids stopped attending, I still had to pay. Thus the contract was short sighted as well.
So in order to save money on an attorney, I ended up losing much, much more. I took my ex to court a couple years later to straighten out that issue, but the judge would not allow any changes.
When you go through a divorce, your brain doesn’t think straight. It is a traumatic experience. You don’t think about the consequences of each item in your agreement, and that can prove very costly. Therefore, if you must get divorced, do it right. Get a competent attorney who has family law experience. Don’t hire this clown.

I highly recommend Brian James as a mediator for couples going through a divorce. It will save you a lot of money and time and heart-​ache. Brian helped my ex-​wife and me craft a settlement that was fair. He even won over my obsessively suspicious ex-​wife (who felt he would be biased) and won her trust by the time the agreement was signed. Brian also came up with an ingenious, win-​win solution that helped both parties get what they wanted. Thanks, Brian. Highly recommended

In the most difficult time a person could go through, finding an intermediary that you feel you can trust is paramount. I felt like Brian was that throughout a very contentious process.
I recommend Brian if you ever find yourself in the middle of the divorce nightmare.