Tami Sbar is a leading divorce mediator in Tampa, Florida, but she took a roundabout journey through the law to get there. She started her legal career as an Assistant State Attorney, working in both the domestic violence and the sex crimes divisions, in addition to felony court. She has her badge to prove it.After experiencing her own divorce, she became interested in the practice of family law, and in particular, the value of mediation as a priceless benefit for divorcing couples and their families. Today, she dedicates her time and expertise to divorcing couples full time. This week on the show, she shares some of the intricacies involved with mediation. Do you need a lawyer if you’re moving through mediation? How does a mediator change the experience of court? How does a mediator deal with the imbalance of power in relationships? All this and so much more this week from a true expert and practitioner in the field. Links & Notes

• Sbar Mediation

• (00:00) - Welcome to How to Split a Toaster
• (00:30) - Tami Sbar – Mediation
• (02:19) - Journey to Becoming a Mediator
• (03:29) - Divorce as an Industry
• (04:12) - What Is Mediation?
• (07:00) - Do Lawyers Need to Be Involved?
• (09:51) - Sidebar: Who Can Be a Mediator?
• (11:03) - Reasons to Still Have a Lawyer
• (17:05) - Does It Make It Easier in Court?
• (18:21) - Dealing with Imbalance of Power in Relationships
• (20:20) - Legal Advice v. Legal Info
• (23:02) - Valuable Points of Mediation
• (24:32) - Dealing With Third Party Influence
• (28:39) - Binding Agreement
• (30:57) - Advice to Prepare for Mediation
• (34:41) - Dealing With the Lawyers
• (37:04) - Allowance for Creativity
• (41:33) - When to Not Mediate?
• (44:14) - Wrapping Up