Choosing Software as a Neutral: A Guide for Solo Divorce Mediators

Your software is part of how you look neutral. If one spouse sees more, or feels the tool favors the other side, you've got a problem no feature can fix. So for a solo mediator, the first question is whether the tool treats both parties the same.

Five neutrality tests

1. Same questions, same way

Does each spouse answer the same intake in the same format? A form that assumes a "petitioner" and a "respondent" can make one person feel like the opponent.

2. Same figures, same time

When a number is released, do both parties see it together? Can either one see that the other has seen it?

3. Private notes that really are private

Your notes from a caucus with one party must never reach the other. Ask exactly how they're separated, and try to break it yourself by logging in as each spouse.

4. No built-in recommendation

Be wary of a tool that declares one outcome the "best" or "fair" one. It should show what each option does, and leave the decision with the parties.

5. A clean record

If someone later says a number was wrong, can you show where each figure came from and when it was shared?

What a one-person practice actually needs

You're also the admin, the bookkeeper and the IT department. So be honest about what you'll really use:

• Setup you can do in an evening. If it needs a consultant, it isn't built for you.
• Billing split between the parties. Chasing one spouse for payment doesn't help your neutrality.
• Pricing that fits your caseload. Ask how the cost works in a slow month.
• Help from a real person. Ask who you reach when a client can't log in the night before a session.
• Enough math, and no more. Support estimates and side-by-side options, with experts brought in when a case needs them.

If your clients aren't comfortable with technology

Many of your clients are upset, tired and using a phone. Before you buy, have someone who isn't technical try to create an account, upload a photographed statement, and find what you've shared with them.

Questions to ask any vendor

1. Can I see exactly what each spouse sees?
2. Can attorneys or other advisors get limited access at a party's request?
3. What happens if a party stops responding?
4. Can I run a session without a client creating an account?
5. What does it cost if I take four cases a month, or one?
6. Can I export everything, and delete a closed case?

Try it before a real case

Set up a practice case and log in as each spouse on your own phone. If anything would make you uneasy if a real client saw it, raise it with the vendor before going further.

Common questions

How does software affect a mediator's neutrality?

Unequal access, one-sided forms and built-in recommendations can make a party feel the process favors the other side, so check how the tool treats both spouses.

Does a solo mediator need practice management software?

Not always. Many solos need simple scheduling and billing, plus shared figures and private notes, more than a full firm system.

What should a mediator test first?

Log in as each spouse and check that each sees only what they should, especially that caucus notes stay private.