Minnesota divorce & family mediation:You can book the free call on your own.
Divorce mediation: $1,695 per person. One flat fee.
What the fee includes ›- Free 15 min
- Ryan calls you
- No obligation
Common questions
- What if my spouse isn’t on board yet?Book the call alone. We won’t contact your spouse.
- Is $1,695 the whole cost?It covers your private call, the prep, and the 3-hour Zoom session. The court’s filing fee, and a follow-up if you need one, are extra.
- Who will my mediator be?Ryan or Kate McLaughlin. You’ll talk about who fits on the free call.
Ryan McLaughlin, founder and mediator 4.9 · 292 Google reviews“To my surprise we finished in one session and are both feeling ready to move forward.” Hannah V.Expect a reply within the hour.
What brings you here?
Not ready to talk? · How a Prepared Mediation Works (Free Video Course)
Based in St. Paul · Most sessions on Zoom · also Minneapolis
What your $1,695 includes
The Flannel Three-Part Process
One flat fee per person, for all three parts.
Part 1 · 15–45 min each · private
A private call with each of you
Usually two or three days before the session. Your mediator asks each of you the same four questions: what you’re most afraid of, what you’d say yes to, what this is really about for you, and what you need.
Why it matters: people say more when the other person isn’t listening. Neither of you hears the other’s call, and you get to know your mediator before the hard conversation, not during it.
Part 2 · before the session
Homework: numbers, then questions
Your accounts, debts and balances go on one shared balance sheet. No binders or statements, just the numbers. Then your mediator sends each of you questions to think about, based on both private calls.
Why it matters: nobody meets a hard question, or a surprise number, for the first time in the middle of the session. You walk in having already thought about it.
Part 3 · 3 hours · Zoom · availability within a week
One session, together
Two goals: agree on every issue, then put it in writing. If you reach an agreement, the two of you write it together before the session ends, in your own words.
Why it matters: because parts 1 and 2 are done, the three hours go to deciding, not discovering. About 9 in 10 couples finish in one session.
If it gets tense, your mediator can put you in separate Zoom rooms and go back and forth. Either of you can have an attorney review the agreement, or use it to self-file. If a few things are still open, a follow-up session is a flat $500 per person.
Comparing mediators? What’s different here
- Nobody walks in cold. Both of you talk with your mediator privately before you’re ever on a call together.
- The prep is in the price. Private calls, homework and the 3-hour session are one flat fee, so the prep isn’t on an hourly meter.
- Same questions, same mediator. Your spouse gets the exact same four questions. Your mediator doesn’t take sides.
Not included: the court’s filing fee, which the court charges no matter how you divorce, or an attorney if either of you wants one to review the agreement.
Book my free callOpens a page written for the other person, with their own free call.
You Decide
You write the terms — not a court battle
4.9 Stars
4.9 out of 5 from 292 Google reviews
Mostly Zoom
In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee
Flat-Fee Pricing
No hourly billing surprises
People who came in stuck, in their own words.
“The nerves quickly went away.”
I was a ball of nerves before our virtual mediation session. Ryan’s calmness, casual approach, and insights helped us get through very difficult topics to the point of an agreement.
“We were at a stalemate.”
Ryan was fantastic — balanced, fair, and helped us reach a resolution that will only strengthen our co-parenting.
“Incredibly responsive, kind, and … knows his stuff.”
We were able to self-file for divorce and avoided lawyers and litigation altogether. Ryan was incredibly responsive, kind, and most importantly — knows his stuff.
CHOOSE YOUR SITUATION
Start with what's actually happening
Pick the one that sounds most like you. Each one leads to its own page.
Why Families Across Minnesota Choose Flannel People
Professional, personal, and actually helpful
We Show Up in Flannel
Because real conversations happen when people feel comfortable. No stuffy suits, just genuine humans helping you find clarity.
We Cite Research
Every session backed by psychology and conflict resolution science—not just "trust us." Evidence-based methods that actually work.
We Get Results
4.9 out of 5 stars from 292 Google reviews. Results matter more than professional credentials or fancy offices.
Mostly on Zoom
Most sessions are on Zoom. In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee. Mediate from your couch in your most comfortable clothes.
Meet your mediators →
Conflict floods the brain. Structure gives it back.
Neuroscience shows us that conflict activates the threat response. Cortisol and adrenaline flood the system, and rational thinking goes offline. Mediation works because we create psychological safety — a space where both people can think clearly again.
Through guided conversations informed by attachment theory and behavioral science, we help couples and families move from blame to understanding. You're not changing who you are. You're just getting unstuck together.
Flannel People at a glance
Updated October 2026
- Who
- Flannel People Mediation is a divorce mediation practice run by Ryan McLaughlin and Kate McLaughlin, based at 971 Sibley Memorial Hwy, St Paul, MN 55118.
- What
- Divorce mediation for couples anywhere in Minnesota, plus post-divorce mediation when a decree needs to change. Most sessions are on Zoom. In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee.
- Price
- Divorce mediation is $1,695 per person, flat ($3,390 for a couple): a private call with each spouse, a written intake, and one prepared 3-hour session. The over-50 package is $2,500 per person, flat, over two sessions.
- Timeline
- Private calls and a written intake first, then one prepared three-hour session.
- Credentials
- Kate McLaughlin is a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. Ryan McLaughlin is a mediator and doesn't practice law. Mediators don't give legal advice; either spouse can have their own attorney review the agreement.
- Reviews
- Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 292 Google reviews (as of October 2026).
- First step
- A free 15-minute call, with no obligation. Book online or call or text (763) 316-8323.
Minnesota divorce mediation: straight answers
Cost, mediators, Rule 114, and how it works
What does divorce mediation cost in Minnesota?
At Flannel People Mediation, divorce mediation costs $1,695 per person, flat, which is $3,390 for a couple. There is no hourly billing.
That fee covers a private call with each spouse, a written intake, and one prepared 3-hour joint session on Zoom. Separately, Minnesota charges $390 to $405 to file for divorce, depending on the county (as of September 2026). If either of you wants an attorney to review the agreement, that attorney bills separately.
Is there flat-fee divorce mediation in Minnesota?
Yes. Flannel People Mediation offers flat-fee divorce mediation for couples anywhere in Minnesota: $1,695 per person. Most sessions are on Zoom. In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee.
For couples over 50 sorting out pensions, retirement accounts, and the house, the over-50 package is $2,500 per person, flat, over two sessions. Either way, you know the number before you start.
Is the $1,695 per person or per couple?
Per person. Each spouse pays $1,695, so the total for a couple is $3,390. The over-50 package is $2,500 per person.
Who will my mediator be?
Your mediator will be Ryan McLaughlin or Kate McLaughlin, the two mediators at Flannel People Mediation in St. Paul.
Ryan founded the practice. He is a mediator and doesn't practice law or give legal advice. Kate is a trained restorative mediator and a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. We'll talk about who fits your situation on the free call.
Do we need a Rule 114 qualified neutral?
Usually only if a court sends you to mediation. Minnesota's Rule 114 covers court-connected alternative dispute resolution, and a court order may call for a neutral from the state's Rule 114 roster. Private mediation that the two of you choose on your own doesn't require one.
If you do need a roster neutral, Kate McLaughlin is a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. This is general information, not legal advice, so check the wording of any court order.
Is divorce mediation online or in person?
Mostly online. Most sessions are on Zoom. In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee.
Zoom means no driving across the metro, no waiting room, and no sitting across a table from each other if that's hard right now.
How do I choose a divorce mediator in Minneapolis or St. Paul?
Ask every mediator the same questions: the total cost in writing, exactly who will mediate, whether sessions are online or in person, whether they're on the Rule 114 roster if a court requires one, and how many Google reviews they have that you can read yourself.
Our guide walks through five questions to ask and puts the Google review counts for Minnesota mediation practices side by side.
How long does mediation take?
The process is a private call with each spouse, a written intake, then one prepared three-hour session. How long it takes depends on how quickly you both finish the prep steps and on scheduling.
That's because the session is the last step of a three-part process: we meet with each person individually first, you complete a written pre-mediation intake, and then we mediate. By the time you're in the room together, the groundwork is already done. Some divorces need a second session, and the over-50 package is built around two.
What if my spouse won't mediate?
Reluctance is common at the start. Most people are open to mediation once they understand what it is and what it costs compared to the alternatives.
You can book the free call on your own to think through how to raise it, and we have a page written for the other person. If they say no now, circumstances change, so feel free to reach out again later.
What happens after mediation ends?
You leave with your agreement in writing, on the issues you both agree on. It isn't a court filing.
We help two people who don't agree on really tricky issues come to an agreement and put that agreement in writing. We don't draft court documents, we don't file, we don't do anything with the courts, and we don't give legal advice.
From there, you can review next steps, documents, and filing questions with a qualified attorney or official court resources, more organized and further along than when you started.
What types of conflict can mediation resolve?
Mostly divorce, and what comes after it. Divorcing couples use mediation to work out parenting time, the house, retirement accounts, debts, and support, and leave with every decision the two of you make, in writing. Most sessions are on Zoom. In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee.
Already divorced? Post-divorce mediation helps when the decree stops fitting your life: a move, a new job, kids who have outgrown the parenting schedule, or a change in support. We also mediate couples, family, and business conflicts.
Are Flannel People's reviews real?
Yes, and you can read them yourself. Flannel People Mediation is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 292 Google reviews (as of October 2026).
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Where we're based
971 Sibley Memorial Hwy, St Paul, MN 55118. Most sessions are on Zoom. In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee.