EP318 Don’t Let Your Divorce Become a Disaster, With Joe Dillon
In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Joe Dillon of EquitableMediation.com, a seasoned mediator with 28 years of experience, including 17 years in private divorce practice. Joe, who also holds an MBA in finance, brings a unique and invaluable perspective to divorce mediation, especially concerning the financial intricacies of property division, child support, and alimony. His personal journey, marked by his parents’ litigated divorce in the 80s, fuels his passion for helping families avoid the same pitfalls.
Joe shared his deeply personal backstory, detailing how his parents’ prolonged and contentious divorce impacted his childhood, leaving him without a relationship with his father for decades. This experience shaped his approach to mediation, emphasizing the devastating long-term effects of high-conflict divorce on children. We discussed the critical need for parents to prioritize their children’s well-being and avoid casting the other parent as a “villain.”
Something that stood out to me, and a key takeaway from our conversation, was Joe’s philosophy of “looking through the windshield, not the rearview mirror.” He believes mediation is a forward-looking process, focusing on crafting agreements that govern future relationships rather than dwelling on past grievances. This approach, combined with the support of a divorce coach—his wife, Cheryl—who helps clients navigate emotional baggage, contributes to Equitable Mediation’s impressive 98% settlement rate. Joe’s commitment to unlimited sessions, allowing conversations to “breathe” and breakthroughs to occur naturally, sets his practice apart.
For those like me interested in legal tech and ODR, Joe was an early adopter of virtual mediation, starting in 2011, long before the pandemic made it mainstream. This foresight allows Equitable Mediation to serve clients across multiple states, offering a safe, efficient, and flexible environment for complex discussions.
#DivorceMediation #ConflictResolution #FamilyLaw
