Gawthrop Greenwood Attorney Carl W. Heckert Receives Family Law Mediation Certification Issued for First Time By State of Delaware

Gawthrop Greenwood, PC attorney Carl W. Heckert has become a Certified Family Law Mediator in Delaware following the state’s inaugural certification program by the Family Court of the State of Delaware as well as the Delaware State Bar Association.

A life-long Delaware resident with more than 25 years of experience practicing family law in Delaware, Heckert is a respected and long-time practitioner of family law, including both litigating and mediating divorce. He points to the clear advantages of mediation for many couples, especially for those who would like to keep their proceedings private and off the public record outside of divorce court.

“Mediation involves substantial cost-savings, less stress and is usually much shorter in duration, allowing both parties to move on with their lives,” says Heckert. “It’s an out-of-court alternative that gives couples more control over the outcomes, rather than putting those decisions into the hands of a judge. More and more, I’m asking couples: why not start with mediation?”

A certified Delaware family law mediator is a neutral third party who is charged with preserving confidentiality while helping couples resolve issues more creatively and amicably than they can in court, including custody, visitation, child support, property division and alimony.

To begin mediation, a couple contacts a family law mediator to set up an initial session where the issues that need to be resolved are clearly identified. Over the course of ensuing sessions, the parties then explore and pinpoint ideal resolutions, frequently resulting in negotiation and amicable compromise. Certified Delaware Family Law Mediators are trained to listen to both sides of a case without bias, find middle ground that is feasible by the law and enforceable from a legal standpoint.

Heckert notes that parties are more likely comply with an order they created instead of one imposed on them by a court. They also have more settlement options than a court can provide, including longer timelines to handle assets, costs for adult children in college and considering important emotional assets like pets. Couples also have common interests and goals, which they can leverage more flexibly and personally during the mediation process.

Heckert is a member of the Family Law practice at Gawthrop Greenwood, PC, which includes four seasoned attorneys with 75 years of combined experience in family law mediation. He has led Continuing Legal Education courses in family law matters including custody, protection from abuse and representing an unwilling minor as a guardian-ad-litem. He is a member of the Delaware Bar Association and the Melson-Arsht Inns of Court. He received his law degree from Widener University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware.

Contact Carl W. Heckert checkert@gawthrop.com or 302-777-5353