Divorce, co-parenting and family
A calm room for the conversation that keeps getting stuck.
Salt City Mediation offers voluntary online mediation for divorcing and separating couples, co-parents, roommates, and adult siblings in Utah who need help with a specific decision, such as who keeps what or how parenting logistics will run. It does not satisfy Utah's court-ordered divorce mediation step, which requires a mediator on the court roster, and we refer people to the roster for that session.
What this is for
Divorce and separation, voluntarily
Who keeps the house, the car, the accounts, the dog. How you will tell the kids. Worked out by agreement before you file or alongside the court process, then reviewed by your attorneys.
Couples, before any decision
You keep having the same fight. You want one honest, structured conversation about what each of you actually needs before anyone decides anything.
Co-parents
Pickup times, holidays, the new partner, the school decision. Voluntary conversations about logistics, not a custody order.
Who keeps what
Separating households, shared accounts, the dog, the furniture. Working it out by agreement rather than by attrition.
Adult siblings and parents
Caring for a parent, a family property, an inheritance that is splitting the family before it is even split.
Roommates and extended family
Rent shares, deposits, someone leaving early. In-laws, the conversation nobody wants to start. Held somewhere neutral with someone who will make sure everyone is heard.
Why this works differently
Family disputes are rarely about the thing they are about. The holiday schedule is about feeling respected. The deposit is about feeling used. This practice is built on Nonviolent Communication, which means the first job is helping each person feel understood, and only then moving to what to do about it. People who feel heard make agreements. People who feel judged dig in.
The mediator is neutral, takes no side, and gives no legal advice. If what you decide affects children or significant assets, have an attorney look at it before you sign. Mediation gets you to the terms you can both live with.
How a session goes
Each of you talks privately with the mediator first. Then one video session, about two hours, from separate rooms if that is easier. Each person says what matters to them, uninterrupted. Together you name what needs deciding, then work it one item at a time, with private breakout conversations whenever one of you needs them. What you agree to is written up in plain language and signed on the call. The full walkthrough is on how it works.
What it costs
$200 per hour plus a one-time $35 admin fee, two-hour minimum, so a first session is $435, usually shared. The 15-minute consult is free. For comparison, a contested divorce handled through litigation commonly runs $15,000 to $30,000 per spouse in Utah. Estimates, not legal advice. Full pricing.
If your divorce is contested
Once your spouse files an answer, Utah refers the contested issues to mediation with a rostered mediator, and you pay that mediator directly, usually split equally. We cannot run that session yet. Here is what we can do: help you prepare for it, mediate the practical questions that sit outside it, and point you to the court's roster and its help line so you find someone quickly. If cost is the problem, the court's ADR office has an income survey that can lead to reduced fees or a pro bono mediator. Our guides on what it costs to file for divorce in Utah and the mediation requirement cover the details.
When this is not the right room
If there is domestic violence, a safety concern, or a protective order, mediation is not appropriate, and Utah's court process has exemptions for exactly these situations. When one of you holds a protective order against the other, we mediate only if the order, or a later court order, expressly allows that contact, and we need a copy first. Our guide on mediation and protective orders explains what the law says and where to get help. If you need a court order, a judge, or a rostered mediator, we will tell you plainly in the consult and point you to the court's roster.
Common questions
Can you do our court-ordered divorce mediation?
Not yet. Utah requires a mediator on the court's roster for that session. David is currently completing the additional training the court requires for its domestic roster, and until he is listed a session with us does not count. We can help with voluntary conversations before or alongside the court process, and we will point you to the roster for the required session.
Can we mediate our divorce terms before we file?
Yes, voluntarily. Many couples want to work out who keeps what, how parenting will run, and how to communicate during the process before anything is filed. What you agree to is written up in plain language. Because divorce involves legal rights, have your own attorneys review it before you sign, and understand that it does not replace the court's required session if the case later becomes contested.
Is this couples therapy?
No. Therapy works on the relationship over time. Mediation works on a specific decision in a specific session and ends with a written agreement. Some couples use both. If what you need is therapy, we will say so.
Can we mediate parenting logistics without a court order?
Yes, voluntarily. Many co-parents work out schedules, holidays, and how to handle changes by agreement. A voluntary agreement does not replace a court order where one exists or is required, so ask an attorney about how the two fit in your situation.
What if one of us is afraid of the other?
Then mediation is not the right room, and it is not a failure to say so. Utah's process has exemptions for domestic violence and safety concerns, and where a protective order is in place we mediate only if the order, or a later court order, expressly allows that contact. If you are in danger, call 911 or the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition LINKLine at 1-800-897-5465 first.
David Ring III
Mediator and founder of Salt City Mediation LLC. Founder of EmpathEase, an app for practicing empathy and Nonviolent Communication. Completed Utah Dispute Resolution's 40-hour mediation training in 2026.