Divorce mediation · Minnesota
Minnesota divorce mediation.$1,695 per person, flat.
Divorce, handled like adults. With help.
- No retainer. No hourly meter. One fee, in writing.
- One prepared three-hour session. Many couples finish in it.
- Every decision you two make, in writing.
- Mostly on Zoom. In-person may be available on request, for an additional fee.
Your mediator is Ryan or Kate. We don’t take sides. Spouse not ready? Start with a call on your own. You don’t have to agree to anything.
15 minutes, free. Or text Ryan: (763) 316‑8323
Or start with a question
- What does $1,695 include?
- How does it actually work?
- My spouse isn’t on board.
- Is it all on Zoom?
- Something else? Text Ryan
Not ready to book?
One fee, in writing
What $1,695 gets each of you.
You’re not paying for hours. You’re paying for a process that does the organizing before you sit down, so the session is spent deciding, not untangling.
Spouse needs convincing? There’s a page written for them.
Divorce mediation
Per person
A private call with each of you
IncludedBefore anything is scheduled. Neither of you hears the other’s call.
Written prep
IncludedOne shared balance sheet of accounts and balances, and the questions I write after both private calls.
One three-hour session on Zoom
IncludedMany couples finish in it. If a few things are still open, a follow-up session is available.
Your decisions, in writing
IncludedEither of you can have an attorney review it, or use it to self-file.
Total
$1,695 flat.
Not included: your court’s filing fee, which the court charges no matter how you divorce, or an attorney if either of you wants one to review the agreement.
Our three-part process
The Flannel Three-Part Process.
Every mediation runs on it, in this order, on purpose. Nothing is scheduled until you’ve both said yes.
- 1
Part 1 · The one-on-ones
15 to 45 minutes each · privateI meet with each of you, separately.
You tell me what you’re worried about and what you think will be hard. Neither of you hears the other’s call, and neither of you walks in cold.
- 2
Part 2 · The homework
Two halves · before you meetNumbers first, then your questions.
No binders, no stack of statements: accounts and balances. Then questions I write after both private calls, so nobody meets a hard question for the first time in the session.
- 3
Part 3 · The session
3 hours · Zoom · usually within a weekOne three-hour session, together.
You come in without an agreement. Every decision you two make goes into writing.
Same three parts whether you’re both ready or one of you is still deciding whether this is happening at all.
What you’ll work through
The parenting plan, and the money.
A house, retirement accounts, support, a business: complicated finances are normal here.
- Parenting
- The regular week, holidays and summers, school and medical decisions, and how the plan changes as the kids get older.
- The house
- Who keeps it, what the buyout number is, and when the refinance has to happen.
- Retirement
- 401(k)s, IRAs, and pensions, and how the two of you decide to divide them.
- Support
- Child support run through the Minnesota calculator. Spousal maintenance worked through a structured method, so the number isn’t just whoever pushes harder. How that works
- A business
- Ownership, value, and how the rest of the settlement balances around it.
- Debt
- Who carries which card, loan, and car payment, and what happens between now and the decree.
We build one balance sheet together, live, so both of you are looking at the same numbers. If a number has to come from a professional first, like an appraisal, a business valuation, or a tax answer, you’ll hear that on your private call, before the session.
What clients say
Read them yourself.
“I was a ball of nerves before our virtual mediation session. Ryan’s calmness, casual approach, insights, observations, and cohesiveness throughout the session helped us get through alot of very difficult topics to the point of an agreement.”
“My ex and I were looking for some help to resolve a stalemate, Ryan was fantastic. Balanced and fair.”
“Ryan is a very relaxed but knowledable divorce mediator. Not stuffy or formal at all which helped me feel at ease during the process.”
Compare your options
Mediation, litigation, or doing it yourself.
Mediation
Who decides · The two of you
Cost · Flat fee at Flannel: $1,695 per person
Couples who want a private, structured conversation before conflict escalates
Litigation
Who decides · A judge or court process
Cost · Often hourly legal fees plus court-related costs
Disputes that need court intervention, formal discovery, or a judicial decision
Do it yourself
Who decides · The two of you
Cost · Lower direct cost, less structure
Couples who already agree on everything and only need the official forms
Watch: how much time mediation saves vs. court
Meet your mediator
The person on the other end of the Zoom.
Most people walk into a divorce thinking something is wrong with them, or with the other person. When two people are fighting, their brains are doing exactly what brains do: protecting them. Change the conditions in the room and people who couldn’t agree on anything start building something together.
Ryan is trained in facilitative, restorative, and transformative mediation, and his practice is built on conflict research and a lot of Minnesota kitchen-table money: house buyouts, retirement accounts, support. Kate McLaughlin, the practice’s other mediator, is a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114.
4.9 stars · 285+ Google reviews · MFA, creative writing · Meet both mediators
How much does divorce mediation cost?
$1,695 per person, flat, which is $3,390 for a couple. There is no hourly billing.
That covers a private call with each of you, written prep, and one prepared three-hour session on Zoom. Minnesota charges $390 to $405 to file for divorce, depending on the county (as of September 2026), and that's separate. So is an attorney, if either of you wants one to review the agreement.
What is the divorce mediation process?
Three parts, in this order: a private call with each of you, written prep, then one three-hour session together. Nothing is scheduled until you've both said yes.
The mediator doesn't decide legal rights or file court documents for either of you.
What if my spouse isn't on board yet?
Reluctance is common at the start. Most people are open to mediation once they understand what it is and what it costs compared to the alternatives.
You can book the free call on your own to think through how to raise it, and there's a page written for the other person. You don't agree to anything on the call.
Is divorce mediation online or in person?
Mostly online. Most sessions are on Zoom, so couples anywhere in Minnesota can mediate from home, including spouses who already live in different places.
In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee.
How do I prepare for mediation?
Gather the numbers: bank and retirement balances, debts, the mortgage, and recent tax returns. You don't need every answer before mediation. The written prep tells you exactly what to bring.
Can we mediate parenting time and child support?
Yes. Couples use mediation to work out parenting schedules, communication, child-related expenses, and support. We don't provide legal advice or decide what a court will require.
What happens after we reach agreement?
You leave with your agreement in writing, on the issues you both agree on. It isn't a court filing.
We help two people who don't agree on really tricky issues come to an agreement and put that agreement in writing. We don't draft court documents, we don't file, we don't do anything with the courts, and we don't give legal advice.
Either of you can have an attorney review it before anything is signed or filed.
How is mediation different from litigation?
Litigation asks a court to decide disputed issues. Mediation is a private, structured conversation where the two of you work out the terms with a neutral mediator, who doesn't represent either of you or tell either of you what to agree to.
Who will our mediator be?
Ryan McLaughlin or Kate McLaughlin, the two mediators at Flannel People Mediation. Ryan founded the practice; he is a mediator and doesn't practice law or give legal advice. Kate is a trained restorative mediator and a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice.
Is a divorce mediator the same as a divorce attorney?
No. A mediator is a neutral who structures the conversation and helps the two of you reach your own agreement. A divorce attorney represents one person and gives legal advice. We provide mediation only and don't represent either of you.
Keep reading
- Divorce mediation in MinnesotaThe full guide: cost, process, and Minnesota rules.
- Divorce mediation costWhat the flat fee includes and what other costs to plan for.
- Spousal support mediationMinnesota has no formula for the amount. How we get two people to one number.
- Do you need a divorce lawyer?When mediation is a practical alternative, and when it isn’t.
- Amicable divorce in MinnesotaWhat people usually mean by it, and what it takes.
- Divorce after 50Pensions, retirement accounts, and the house.
The free call
Pick a time. 15 minutes.
I call you at the time you pick. Come alone or together. You tell me where things stand, I tell you honestly whether mediation fits, and you don’t agree to anything on the call.
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