What Divorce Mediation Is
Divorcing your spouse can prove to be a tricky situation. No matter the reasons for the divorce, the two parties involved — the spouses — tend to enter divorce proceedings with a great deal of subjectivity. Leading up to the dissolution of any relationship can be difficult, as people are bringing a lot of emotions to the table, concerned with past events that might have lead towards the dissolution or simply upset over the break-up itself. Consider a divorce — a relationship in which finances, possessions, and (possibly) children/pets are involved — and the situation becomes a lot worse.
People become concerned with how assets will be separated, how the marriage will dissolve, and how the relationship will continue (especially if there are children and visitation comes into question). When there is this much stuff on the table — children, possessions, money, homes, investments — it becomes incredibly difficult to determine who gets what, especially when a great deal of tension and emotions are perturbing the air.
In such a case, it is worthwhile to seek out divorce mediation. Now, what is divorce mediation?
Divorce mediation, at its core, is when you and your spouse — and, possibly, your two respective divorce lawyers — hire the help of a third neutral party (mediator) to respectfully resolve the issues of the divorce. While this person will not make final decisions for either you or your spouse, they will offer divorce help through figuring out what are the best solutions to ease the tension of the divorce, seeking out the best resolutions over prior disputes.
Why should you mediate your divorce?
- Divorce mediation can keep you and your spouse out of a courtroom, removing that exorbitant fee and saving you time
- It is confidential, so your divorce case won’t end up in public records as it would with a courtroom case
- Mediations can resolve most, if not all, divorce issues, resolving issues between you and your spouse in the moment so to better future interactions
Mediators can be utilized from the very beginning of the divorce process, and you and your spouse can decide whether or not you would like your lawyers present during the process. In most cases, mediators will work towards garnering an understanding of the divorce situation, taking hold of the facts that have been presented, as well as what both parties want out of the divorce (along with what they are willing to part with).
From here, they will work alongside you and your spouse to neutralize any combative tensions and present calm, level-headed perspectives on disruptions and arguments, negotiating for an agreement between both parties. In the end, they will work with you (and your lawyers) to complete all agreements, settling on a solution that allows for the agreement to be settled so that you and your ex-spouse can finalize your divorce and move on from there.