Clear Parting Docs vs a divorce mediator in New Jersey
Mediation and Clear Parting Docs are not competitors — mediation is how you reach agreement, and Clear Parting Docs is what you file once you have one. When to use which, and when both.
What a divorce mediator is
A mediator is a neutral third person who helps two people negotiate. They decide nothing and represent no one. New Jersey builds mediation into its court process under R. 1:40, and private mediators are widely available before anything is filed.
- Produces an agreement, not a court packet — you still have to prepare and file the documents
- Typically billed hourly and split between the couple
- New Jersey's court economic-mediation program covers an initial period of the mediator's time at no charge after filing
- The right tool when you agree in principle but keep stalling on specifics
Side by side
| a divorce mediator | Clear Parting Docs | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | An agreement, and a way to reach it | The complete court packet, from the agreement you already have |
| Price structure | Hourly, usually split | $299, or $399 with children, once per couple, no renewal |
| Two spouses | Both in the room | Two accounts, one case: each spouse signs only their own documents, and one-per-litigant forms are kept per person |
| Legal advice | None — a mediator is neutral, even when a lawyer | None. Software that records your decisions; a named New Jersey firm you can engage directly for any piece that needs judgment |
| After you file | Not their job | Deadline clock from your real filing dates, the 35-day window, judgment tracking, the after-divorce checklist |
Choose a divorce mediator when
- You agree on most things but two or three keep stalling
- One of you has always handled the money and the other does not yet know what there is
- The parenting schedule is the sticking point
- A house, a pension or a business is in play and you need help structuring the trade
Choose Clear Parting Docs when
- You have already decided everything and need it turned into a filed New Jersey case
- You came out of mediation with an agreement and now need the packet around it
- You want a fixed price for the paperwork rather than another hourly bill
The honest verdict
Mediate if you are not there yet. File with us once you are. Many couples do both, in that order, and it is the cheapest complete path in New Jersey for a case with real things to work out.
Facts about a divorce mediator are drawn from its own public materials as of September 2026, are structural rather than promotional, and may have changed — verify on its site. Clear Parting Docs is not a law firm and gives no legal advice; this page is a product comparison, not a recommendation about your case.
See ours before deciding
The complete finished packet is published as real PDFs — no account, no payment.
Other comparisons: Hello Divorce · DivorceWriter · 3StepDivorce · LegalZoom · hiring two attorneys