The ground rules

By using flannelpeoplemediation.com or booking our services, you agree to these terms. If you become a client, you’ll also sign a Participation Agreement. If the two ever disagree, the Participation Agreement wins.

Flannel People Mediation provides mediation services. Our mediators are Ryan McLaughlin and Kate McLaughlin. Our core service is flat-fee divorce mediation, currently $1,695 per person. We also mediate post-divorce, family and other disputes. Most sessions are held online over Zoom. In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee. Current services and prices are listed on the site and may change.

Your first step is a free 15-minute call, booked through Calendly. That call is a chance to ask questions. It doesn’t make you a client, and it doesn’t make us your mediator.

We are not a law firm, and mediation is not the practice of law. We don’t give legal, financial, tax, insurance, valuation or therapeutic advice. We don’t represent you in court, and we don’t predict how a judge would rule.

Flannel People Mediation does not practice law, represent either party, prepare court filings, or give legal advice. Nothing on this site, in a call, or in a session creates an attorney-client relationship with Ryan, Kate or Flannel People Mediation.

Anything we write down during mediation, such as a summary of what you agreed, is there to help you talk it through. It is not a court filing or legal document prepared for you. Each of you should have your own attorney review it and handle any filings. We strongly encourage you to talk to your own attorney and other advisors before, during and after mediation.

Mediation is also not therapy or counseling. If you’re struggling, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional.

Your mediator works for the process, not for either of you. We don’t take sides, advocate for anyone, or make decisions for you. Every agreement is yours to make. We may pause or end mediation if we think it can’t continue fairly or safely.

Either of you can stop mediation at any time. There’s no guarantee you’ll reach an agreement, how long it will take, or what the outcome will be.

What’s said in mediation is generally confidential. Minnesota law, including Minn. Stat. § 595.02, limits when mediation communications can be used as evidence and when a mediator can be made to testify. Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice adds protections for court-connected mediation.

Confidentiality has limits. For example, we may have to report suspected child abuse or a threat to someone’s safety, or disclose information when the law requires it. Your Participation Agreement spells out the details.

Most sessions are on Zoom. For those, you’ll need a reliable internet connection, a device with a camera and microphone, and a private space where no one else can listen in. Please don’t record sessions. If the connection drops, we’ll reconnect or reschedule. Most of our clients live in Minnesota. If either of you lives somewhere else, your agreement may need review by an attorney licensed there.

Fees are listed on the site and confirmed before you start. Divorce mediation is a flat fee per person. Paying covers the mediation process. It doesn’t guarantee an agreement or any particular result.

Your Participation Agreement and booking confirmation set out when payment is due and our rescheduling, cancellation and refund policies. Digital products and practitioner licenses have their own terms, shown when you buy them.

Articles, guides, calculators, videos and podcast episodes on this site are for general education. They aren’t advice about your situation and may not reflect the latest law. See our Disclaimer.

The site’s content belongs to Flannel People Mediation. You’re welcome to read it and share links, but please don’t copy or resell it without permission. Please don’t misuse the site, for example by trying to break it or by sending spam through our forms. Links to other sites and tools such as Calendly, Zoom and Square are governed by those companies’ own terms.

The site and our services are provided “as is.” To the fullest extent the law allows, Flannel People Mediation, Ryan McLaughlin and Kate McLaughlin aren’t liable for indirect, incidental or consequential damages. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the fees you paid us for the service involved. Some states don’t allow some of these limits, so they may not all apply to you.

These terms are governed by Minnesota law. If you have a concern, please tell us first. Most things can be fixed with a conversation.

If we can’t resolve it, any dispute about these terms or our services will be settled by binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except where the law doesn’t allow it. Disputes are handled individually, not as part of a class action.

We may update these terms. When we do, we’ll change the effective date at the top. If you keep using the site after an update, the new terms apply. If any part of these terms can’t be enforced, the rest still applies.