Mediation creates a space for open communication, where both sides can be heard and work toward practical, mutually acceptable solutions. At Nest Law, we guide these conversations with clarity, neutrality, and focus.
Nest Law offers neutral mediation services for complex family law disputes — high-asset divorce, contested custody, business valuations, alimony, and support. Our credentialed mediator is an active litigator who handles these cases in court every week.
That trial experience is what drives productive sessions and agreements that hold up.
Not every mediation involves a simple dissolution with a bank account and a lease. The cases that land on our calendar tend to involve real complexity — and that’s by design.
We regularly work cases involving business valuations and ownership disputes, division of real estate portfolios, contested parenting plans with interstate or international dimensions, high-asset equitable distribution under Florida Statute §61.075, and alimony disputes where income, lifestyle, and duration are all in play.
If your client’s case has moving parts, we’re built for it. We don’t shy away from complexity — we specialize in it.
Here’s what separates Nest Law from a retired judge or a mediator who’s never tried a case.
Our team practices family law every day. We draft parenting plans, argue equitable distribution motions, cross-examine forensic accountants, and stand in front of Miami-Dade County judges on contested custody matters. We know the case law. We know the local judicial tendencies. We know what works at trial — and what doesn’t.
That matters in mediation because the most effective reality-testing happens when the mediator can credibly say: here’s what a judge is likely to do with this issue. When both sides trust that the mediator understands the litigation landscape, they negotiate differently. They negotiate better.
A mediation agreement is only valuable if the court approves it and both parties comply with it. Under Florida Statute §61.183(2), the consent order that comes out of mediation is enforceable like any other court order. Under Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure 12.740, an agreement reached during mediation must be reduced to writing, signed by the parties, and submitted to the court to become binding. Furthermore, under Florida Statute § 44.405, communications related to mediation are confidential.
Because we know what judges expect to see in a parenting plan under §61.13, what the child support guidelines require under §61.30, and how equitable distribution factors are weighed under §61.075, the agreements we facilitate are drafted to clear judicial review the first time — not bounce back for corrections.
Fewer rejected agreements. Fewer post-judgment modifications. Less time and money spent cleaning up a deal that should have been done right.
Business ownership interests, professional practices, investment portfolios, retirement accounts, real estate holdings, stock options, deferred compensation, and debt allocation. We guide both sides through Florida’s equitable distribution framework and help parties understand how the statutory factors under §61.075 apply to their specific financial picture — without advocating for either side.
Parental responsibility designations, time-sharing schedules, holiday and vacation rotations, school-year and summer arrangements, geographic restrictions, decision-making authority for education, healthcare, and extracurriculars, and relocation disputes. We help parents build plans that satisfy the best-interests standard under §61.13 and reflect what Miami-Dade County judges actually approve.
We walk both attorneys and their clients through the child support guidelines under §61.30 — income imputation, daycare costs, health insurance, extraordinary expenses, and the overnight calculation. Both sides leave the session understanding exactly how the number was reached and why.
Bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, durational, and permanent alimony. We facilitate productive discussions about type, amount, and duration — grounded in the statutory factors under §61.08. When income, lifestyle, duration of marriage, and earning capacity are all contested, having a mediator who handles these disputes in court every week makes a measurable difference.
Job loss, relocation, remarriage, a child’s changing needs — circumstances shift. We mediate post-judgment modifications to existing custody, support, and alimony orders, often resolving disputes in a single session that would otherwise take months of contested litigation.
For parents who were never married, we mediate parenting plans, time-sharing arrangements, and child support agreements under the same Florida statutes and with the same structured, impartial process.
We run a structured process designed for efficiency. Attorneys appreciate knowing exactly what to expect before, during, and after the session.
Before the first session, our mediator reviews the issues in dispute, financial disclosures, and any relevant pleadings. We coordinate with both attorneys to identify the contested issues, set an agenda, and confirm that both sides are prepared to negotiate meaningfully.
If there are threshold issues — a pending motion, an unresolved discovery dispute, a forensic report that hasn’t been completed — we’ll flag that upfront so the session doesn’t stall.
We typically work in a combination of joint sessions and private caucuses, depending on the dynamics of the case and the preferences of counsel. Joint sessions are effective for setting the framework and identifying common ground. Caucuses let each side speak candidly with the mediator about their real priorities, bottom lines, and concerns they don’t want to telegraph to the other side.
We keep the conversation productive. When positions harden, we reality-test. When communication breaks down, we restructure the discussion. When one issue is blocking everything else, we set it aside and build momentum on the issues where agreement is possible.
Once terms are reached, we prepare a written mediation agreement. Under Florida Statute §61.183(2), this agreement is submitted to the parties and their attorneys for review. Upon approval and signature, it goes to the court for entry as a consent order — carrying the same enforceability as a judgment entered after trial.
We encourage both attorneys to take reasonable time to review the agreement with their clients before signing. Our role as neutral mediator means we don’t give legal advice to either party. Each side should be fully informed and voluntarily consenting to every term.
Our mediator is available in-person at both of our South Florida offices and via Zoom for cases anywhere in the state.
For attorneys outside Miami-Dade County, Zoom mediation offers the same structured process — caucuses, joint sessions, screen-shared documents, and real-time agreement drafting — without the travel. We’ve found that Zoom sessions are particularly effective for modification disputes, support recalculations, and cases where the parties are already in different locations.
In-Person:
Main Office: 2650 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33137
Satellite Office: 20801 Biscayne Boulevard, Aventura Corporate Center, Suite 403, Aventura, FL 33180
Via Zoom: Available statewide throughout Florida.
Carlos Funes, Esq., is a family law attorney and newly minted Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator. After earning his J.D. from the University of Florida in 2014, Carlos spent a decade at Pacheco Perez, PA, practicing exclusively in family law—handling dissolutions, paternity actions, post-judgment matters, pre- and postnuptial agreements, and complex cases involving international agreements.
Recently appointed as a Guardian ad Litem, Carlos advocates for children caught between parents in divorce proceedings and plans to continue that work alongside his mediation practice. Clients know him for frank, honest counsel and steady representation through difficult times.
A graduate of UC Irvine (B.A., Literary Journalism, 2009), Carlos is a devoted husband and father of two young daughters. Outside the office, he enjoys traveling with his family, cooking, exercising, writing, and reading fiction.
Nest Law’s mediation practice is led by a credentialed neutral mediator who brings years of active family law litigation experience to the table. Attorney Funes has completed the training required by the Florida Supreme Court and maintains active certification in good standing.
What sets him apart isn’t just the credentials — it’s the courtroom experience behind it. Every session is conducted by a professional who has litigated the same types of disputes they’re now helping your clients resolve. That depth of practice gives both sides confidence that the process is being guided by someone who understands the full picture — not just the mediation room, but the courtroom that’s waiting if mediation doesn’t succeed.
While our mediation practice primarily serves attorneys and their clients, we also welcome couples who want to resolve their family law dispute together — with or without individual attorneys.
If you and your spouse agree that you’d rather negotiate your own terms than have a judge decide for you, Nest Law can serve as your neutral mediator. We offer mediation packages that include the mediation session, a written marital settlement agreement, a parenting plan, and any other documents needed for court filing.
Important As your neutral mediator, Nest Law does not represent either party and does not provide legal advice to either side. We strongly encourage each spouse to have the final agreement reviewed by their own independent attorney before signing.
This service is best suited for couples who are aligned on the major issues and need a structured process — and a knowledgeable mediator — to finalize the details.
Everything discussed in mediation is confidential.
Under Florida Statute §61.183(3), all files, reports, case summaries, mediator’s notes, and other communications related to mediation are exempt from Florida’s public records laws. The mediator cannot be compelled to testify about what was said during the session.
This protection is what allows attorneys and their clients to speak freely, explore settlement options, and make proposals without concern that their words will be used against them if the case proceeds to trial. Both sides can negotiate candidly — which is exactly what makes mediation effective.
Mediation works best when both parties can participate voluntarily and on relatively equal footing. It may not be appropriate in cases involving active domestic violence, significant substance abuse, or a power imbalance so severe that one party cannot meaningfully advocate for their own interests — even with an attorney present.
If you have concerns about whether mediation is the right fit for a particular case, call us. We’ll give you a candid assessment before scheduling a session.
Nest Law offers mediation sessions in both English and Spanish. Our bilingual mediator conducts sessions directly in the language both parties are most comfortable with — no interpreters, no delays, no risk of miscommunication on critical terms.
For attorneys with Spanish-speaking clients, this removes a significant barrier to productive negotiation.
Ready to book a session for your clients — or for yourselves?
Nest Law serves as the neutral mediator for family law disputes throughout Florida. Whether you’re scheduling a court-ordered mediation, a voluntary pre-suit session, or a post-judgment modification negotiation, we’re here to help both sides reach a resolution.
Call or fill out our contact form to schedule.
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Confidential case evaluations available. Hablamos Español.
Our primary clients are Florida family law attorneys who need a credentialed neutral mediator for their cases. We also serve couples who want to mediate directly — with or without individual attorneys. In both scenarios, Nest Law acts as the neutral third party and does not represent either side.
Two completely different services. When we represent you in mediation, we’re your advocate — we sit on your side and negotiate for your best outcome. When we serve as the neutral mediator, we don’t represent either party. We facilitate the negotiation between both sides.
Absolutely. In most of our mediations, both parties are represented by counsel. The attorneys participate in the session, advise their clients during caucuses, and review the final agreement. Having attorneys present generally leads to faster resolution and stronger agreements.
In many family law cases, yes. Courts routinely order mediation for contested issues involving children under Florida Statute §61.183. Even when not court-ordered, voluntary mediation is almost always faster, less expensive, and less adversarial than contested litigation.
Yes. Our mediator is available via Zoom for cases anywhere in Florida. The process — caucuses, joint sessions, document review, agreement drafting — works the same way remotely as it does in person.
Most sessions are scheduled for a half day or full day, depending on the number and complexity of the issues. Simple cases may resolve in a single half-day session. Multi-issue, high-asset cases may require a full day or a follow-up session.
Nothing said in mediation can be used against either party at trial. If mediation doesn’t result in a full agreement, the unresolved issues proceed through litigation as if the session never happened. Some cases reach partial agreements — settling some issues and leaving the rest for the court.
Yes. Under Florida Statute §61.183(3), all mediation communications, notes, and files are confidential and exempt from public records disclosure. The mediator cannot be compelled to testify about what occurred during the session.
Fees depend on the complexity and duration of the session. Contact us at (786) 983-6586 for a clear breakdown. In virtually every case, mediation costs a fraction of what both sides would spend litigating the same issues through trial.
Yes. Changed circumstances — job loss, relocation, a child’s evolving needs — can justify modifying existing orders for custody, support, or alimony. We mediate these disputes regularly, and they often resolve in a single session.
Yes. Our mediator conducts sessions in both English and Spanish so all parties can participate fully and understand every term before signing.
