Before your divorce case moves to litigation, you’re likely to give mediation a try. Even if you’re not getting along with your imminent ex-spouse, mediation is often the best way to settle your differences while saving both time and money.
Knowing what to expect from mediation will help you prepare accordingly. This starts with understanding the basic goals:
- Create an equitable divorce agreement
- To negotiate all details pertaining to the divorce, such as those associated with child custody and property division
- To minimize hostility
- To avoid the time associated with litigation
- To avoid the cost associated with litigation
Along with the above goals, there are many advantages of a mediated divorce:
- More control: With litigation, the family law judge has full control over your case. They have the power to make legally binding decisions, even if you don’t agree. With mediation, you have more control over the process, as you’re able to negotiate and compromise on your way to creating a final agreement.
- Less stress: There’s something about spending time in court that will stress you out. Mediation is less formal, thus reducing the stress associated with the process.
- Better for your children: Since mediation is more likely to reduce hostility, it’s better for your children now and in the future. For example, people who mediate are more likely to leave their marriage on speaking terms. This makes co-parenting much easier.
What does a mediator do?
A divorce mediator is staffed with the responsibility of minimizing conflict, aiding negotiation and providing information on how the process works.
Unlike a family law judge, this person doesn’t have the legal power to make final decisions. Instead, they act as a neutral party with the interest of helping you find common ground.
Even if you’re faced with a messy divorce, don’t overlook the benefits of mediation. As you learn more, you may come to find that it’s the perfect way to hash out the details of your divorce in the most comfortable manner possible.
When you combine your knowledge with the help of a divorce attorney, mediation puts you in position to proceed in a time- and cost-efficient manner.
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