Melissa Wheeler Hoff

Melissa is a divorce and family law mediator, licensed attorney, as well as a Co-Parenting Specialist (CoPS). Melissa provides virtual mediation services throughout California on a flat-fee basis. 

While Melissa is a California-licensed attorney, she has elected to focus on providing neutral mediation services and one-on-one mediation and negotiation coaching. Holistic mediation allows Melissa to intertwine her passions for family law, spirituality, and finding collaborative solutions in challenging circumstances. While Melissa enjoyed being a family law litigator for about a decade, she truly believes in the transformative power of mediation, and knows most people and families will find benefits in mediation that litigation just cannot provide. In mediation, Melissa is best able to serve parties seeking amicable resolution in their divorce and custody cases who are not looking to create unnecessary conflict or expense.

For people who value equity, collaboration, and respect, they will prefer mediation with Melissa over traditional litigation. These parties are willing to make some compromise to preserve peace; they understand that family law conflict can be highly traumatic for children, and will prioritize keeping trauma and conflict to a minimum. Melissa’s extensive family law experience makes her well-suited for cases with parties who take accountability for their role in the divorce and are seeking clear solutions and well-defined obligations in any written agreement produced through the mediation process.

Melissa is a distinguished divorce attorney based in California who was captivated by family law due to the intricate psychological, emotional, and financial dynamics it encompasses. Her dedication to her clients is evident in her unwavering commitment to their cases, particularly those involving divorce and high-conflict custody disputes. Throughout her legal career, Melissa has demonstrated an exceptional ability to guide clients through every phase of the marital dissolution process including mediation, pre-trial litigation, settlement discussions, mediation, evidentiary hearings, and long-cause trials.

Melissa is trained in Insight Mediation, has completed the 40-hour Family Law Mediation training with Mosten Mediation Training, and is a certified Co-Parenting Specialist (CoPS). Melissa regularly volunteers her time as a Mediator for the State of California Superior Court in Orange County, helping to settle Small Claims cases with the Groundswell non-profit organization. She is also a vetted member of the Amicable Divorce Network and the Academy of Professional Family Mediators. Melissa also hosts the High Vibe Divorce podcast.