Leyla Balakhane is a distinguished and experienced mediator, facilitator, coach, and trainer who specializes in highly-charged divorce and family mediation. Leyla is a passionate mediator who has always felt drawn to help others navigate conflicts and advocate for children who will inevitably shape our society.
Every child deserves to have a happy, safe and loving home environment and Leyla is committed to helping make that a reality.
Leyla was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Medication Association (SCMA) where she can directly impact current and future mediation. Leyla is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Arbitration Panel (LACBA), SCMA, and a Certified Practitioner of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM). Leyla trains a wide range of professionals in the field of family law mediation through her leadership in monthly meetings with SCMA’s Professional Development Group for Family Law.
Leyla’s extensive experience as a mediator is not only utilized with families, but has also prepared her to provide training in mediation at various universities and professional organizations. She is an expert in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and her approach to divorce is effective, compassionate, and economical.
Leyla serves as a mentor for the mediators at Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court where she trains mediators and resolves Juvenile dependency disputes such as shared parental responsibility, termination of parental rights, and adoption disputes.
Leyla empowers her clients to explore options that are tailored toward the specific needs of their families. She helps her clients shape their family’s future, explore the best possible outcomes, negotiate appropriate compromises, and directly participate in the decision-making process.
Having considerable knowledge and a keen sensitivity to cross-cultural issues, Leyla’s approach to mediation encourages empathy and understanding to get to the heart of the conflict. She responds directly to the needs of each spouse and is mindful that every family is unique.
Leyla is praised for alleviating grievances that can often come with a separation and she encourages parents to commit to strengthening their relationships. Through mediation, the family will be supported using a cooperative approach that allows parents to collaboratively reconcile the prospect of continued teamwork and positive communication while also tending to the best interests of their children.
Leyla extends her mediation services to those who are struggling with conflict regarding important life decisions. She mediates the following issues, in addition to divorce:
Adoption
Interpersonal relations
Family businesses
Guardianship
Conservatorship and eldercare
Pre-marital Mediation (i.e., prenuptial agreements)
Post-marital Mediation (modifications of existing orders)
Dissolution of non-marital relationships (domestic partnerships);
Teen issues
Parent coordination
Blended Family mediation
Cohabitation agreements