Testimonials

Zina saved my life. . .

During my divorce I realized that I was blocking a lot of emotions from things that had happened to me in my childhood. Things that I didn’t even know happened. During that extremely emotional time I started to hurt myself in ways that no adult could ever imagine they would subject themselves to. Zina recognized that I was in a state of emotional turmoil (to say the least) and that I needed help. I fought her over the idea of therapy or that I needed help because I believed “I could do it on my own if everyone would just leave me alone.” Turns out, I couldn’t. I finally listened to Zina and showed up at my therapist’s appointment. If I hadn’t done that we don’t know what would have happened to me or my children.

I truly believe that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Zina. She inspires me daily! I can now recognize when I start to slip in my life and I think about Zina (and Judy, my therapist) and what she would say in the situation and I make it through the day. I thank Zina and Judy for saving my life . . . Zina is an amazing woman with compassion and patience I have never seen in anyone. I won’t ever forget my experience with her and the staff at Redefining Divorce. Thank you, Zina. My children thank you also- they are happy to have their mom back.

— K.H.

Warm, Compassionate and Ethical

My husband and I were divorcing and needed a mediator. After our initial phone conversation, I knew that Zina was warm, compassionate, and ethical. It was important to me that our divorce be handled with as much integrity, fairness, knowledge and kindness as possible. Zina made the whole process very easy and I felt grateful that I had someone who I trusted handle such an important transaction in my life.

As I got to know a bit about Zina's practice, I learned there were some very special things about her. I learned that when she takes clients with children, she insists that the children be in counseling. I learned that Zina's passion is not only for a couple to find the easiest path to a divorce but also that their children are well cared for along the way. I believe this shows an unbelievable commitment to her clients and her community.

I also learned that she networks with other professionals in her community such as therapists, financial planners, and tax accountants as all part of the divorce solution.

Zina is special because she truly cares and it shows every step of the way. These are the types of leaders that we need in all our communities.

— A.P.

Innovative and Passionate Business-Community Leader

Zina is an innovative and passionate business-community leader in the field of family law. Her dedication and commitment to helping her clients is the golden model that puts family values first. Her professional services focus on caring for and understanding individual families to help them build better futures. All the clients I have recommended to Zina love her and are most grateful for her care and attention to helping mediate their sensitive family matters. She provides her families with every resource necessary to help them grow and find happiness. She loves kids and her professional career. As a result of her dedication and commitment to helping people, she has been recruited to serve on the Board of Directors for Youth Leadership America (YLA), a local non-profit organization that services Orange County youth. She is truly an example for how we all should conduct ourselves in life and business.

— J.N.

Professional, Yet Gentle and Empathetic Approach

I have had the pleasure of working with Zina Gleason at Redefining Divorce for 2 years and I am thankful that I discovered this amazing woman and company.

As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in Newport Beach, my specialty is helping couples in marriages that are on the brink of divorce. It is a painful and agonizing journey that leads a marriage to divorce. On a number of occasions, I have been asked for a referral for a lawyer-mediator when divorce seems to be the only option. My first and only choice is to refer them to Redefining Divorce. I know that my clients will be treated with the expert knowledge, unconditional kindness and compassion that are needed. Without exception, my clients have been genuinely surprised and pleased by the professional yet gentle and empathetic approach that is the cornerstone of this company.

Of the most stressful events that can occur in a person's life, divorce is at the top of the list, and divorce occurs at an alarmingly high rate. The personal triumphs and legal outcomes achieved by Redefining Divorce not only affect the individuals who seek help with a divorce but also the families, communities by extension and society in general who are impacted by divorce. Redefining Divorce is a business that deserves to be honored for its work toward changing how divorce is handled and exemplifies what the legal field is meant to be- compassionate, competent, diligent, and grounded in good judgment.

— Linda M. Price, Ph.D.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Fair, Honest and Realistic

Zina Gleason is the epitome of an entrepreneur. She saw a need for mediators that could help couples maneuver their way through what could be a complicated, emotional and expensive path of a divorce process, and filled it. She provides a service that saves her clients money and unnecessary heartache. Her reputation as a fair, honest and realistic mediator has propelled her business to be profitable in a very short period of time.

It was never a question for Zina as to where she would locate her business. Fullerton is her home. Upon opening her business, she immediately joined the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce. She is a fixture at most of the networking events and has made it a point to meet as many fellow members as possible. Zina also cares about the City. You will find her at a variety of Fullerton civic and non-profit events that better the community.

Zina is a unique, vibrant and passionate individual and her work is unparalleled. I am honored to know her and grateful that she created Redefining Divorce to service struggling families.

— A.N.

Clarity and Determination

As a Marriage Family Therapist who specializing in treating couples, I know all too well the destruction an adversarial divorce can have on a family. Both partners pay a heavy price in any divorce scenario but, unfortunately often the children of divorcing partners suffer the most. The financial cost of dissolving a marriage can be well into 5 figures for each partner.

I have worked with Zina specifically because of Zina's tireless efforts with her clients in mediation. She advocates for the interests of the children when necessary. All too often, children need to have their interests voiced and Zina has demonstrated clarity and determination to work for the best solution for everyone, including the children.

I would highly recommend Zina to anyone seeking help with their family matters.

— Paul McCandless, MFT
Licensed Marriage Family Therapist

Dear Zina,

I just wanted to thank you for all of your help over the last 7 months. The choice to go with mediation for my divorce turned out to be a great decision! I've watched a few friends go through divorce with both sides using attorneys, and seen how contentious and expensive things can get. You were able to smooth over issues that came up and kept the process rolling along. When issues arose that seemed insurmountable (to me!) you had the knowledge of different legal options to solve the problem and keep the process on track. I really appreciate you being so available by phone and answering my endless questions! Overall, the cost of using Redefining Divorce was much less than hiring an attorney, and my divorce was final in 7 months. I would be happy to talk to anyone who is considering using your services to let them know what a great job you've done. Thanks again!

— K.N.

Breath of Fresh Air

When I was introduced to Ms. Gleason, through an attorney I retained in 2006, I was immediately impressed with her attitude. She was a standout in an industry teeming with jaded, impersonal, money hungry representatives. What stood out mostly about this woman, was her skill, determination, and devotion to the children caught up the nightmare of Family Court. With Ms. Gleason's help, I was able to navigate through the paperwork, protocol, and shark infested waters of court. Often working for free to see the right thing done, Zina is a breath of fresh air. Able to think outside the box, and unmotivated by profit concerns, I recommend Ms. Gleason whole-heartedly.

— C.P.

I Wish I'd Found You Sooner

Divorce is a difficult, painful journey for the entire family. I was unprepared for the lessons I learned in Family Court. Those lessons took me through nearly every avenue available to a parent in litigation. I hired attorneys who showed more passion and capability in our first interview than in the entirety of my court case. As a divorcing Mom I was cut off from any funds, and this lack of finance seriously affected the way I was represented. I watched retainer fees I could scarcely afford get eaten up before we ever went to court. I am still paying some of these attorneys to this day. If knew then what I know today, I would have opted for a program like Redefining Divorce over hiring my attorneys, going to court, and spending over $40,000 dollars. I am so glad this program has been developed for couples out there who need assistance through this journey.

— C.A.

More Than A Pocket Book

When I started my divorce, I hired one of the most reputable Family Law firms in California to represent me. This is where I met Ms. Gleason. While the attorneys at the firm were spending my money fighting with the opposing counsel and making little progress, Ms. Gleason was trying to mediate my emotions and current situation for the sake of my daughters. She had no control over my ex husband or his attorneys, but she could control me. It was the first time during my divorce I believed I was the focus and not my pocket book. She kept me sane and emotionally stable during the most difficult time of my life. No one else seemed to care about my case, I was just another one in their stack.

I learned through this process that attorneys can get favorable orders and judgments from the court to make their clients happy. However, these orders and judgments do not mean the other party has to abide by them. The attorneys can try to force the other party to follow through on the orders but that just costs incredible amounts of money and nothing changes. It is much smarter to come to an agreement that both parties agree with in order to maintain some support versus none.

Mediation allows the parties to make their own agreements so that enforcement of the orders is not impossible. Ms. Gleason is a very reasonable person with an extremely ethical character. There are some attorneys out there that practice family law and mediation but Ms. Gleason focuses exclusively on mediation and carries the parties through the entire process. She also provides services that continue on after the process so that the parties can move on with their lives, amicably. I am so grateful that Ms. Gleason is doing this.

— L.Y.

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