No divorce is easy, even for spouses who remain amicable. There are various legal arrangements and financial issues to navigate, such as child custody, spousal support, property division and much more.
When disputes arise, there are two basic ways to resolve them. The first option is to litigate. Generally, this is the most stressful, time-consuming, and expensive path to divorce. The second option is to explore alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation.
What is mediation and how could it be useful for your divorce?
Mediation is a cooperative process
Mediation is a process designed to facilitate spouses’ ability to work together toward a mutual goal. Meetings take place outside of the court with a mediator overseeing the process. The mediator is not a judge; they make no decisions. Rather, they facilitate discussions so that the divorcing spouses can reach their own mutually beneficial decisions. Those decisions are then incorporated into a legally binding agreement for the court to enter as its order for divorce.
The key benefits of mediation include:
- Control: Spouses retain more control over the proceedings and ultimate decisions, whereas, in litigation, spouses are at the mercy of the courts’ timeframes and orders. Mediation is also more flexible in that it can be scheduled around the work schedules and personal commitments of both spouses.
- Less stressful: Another key advantage of mediation is that it is less adversarial. The mediator will stress the importance of reducing conflict beforehand, and this is the platform that respective legal teams will build from. The spouses don’t even have to be in the same room.
- Privacy: Mediation is also far more private. Unlike a litigated divorce that happens in an open courtroom, mediation occurs in an office, in separate conference rooms, and the conversations stay between spouses, legal representatives, and the mediator.
Mediation isn’t for everyone, but it can result in a much more efficient divorce. To assess your options in more detail, you may find it helpful to seek legal guidance. Call attorney Dave Meier today at 651-738-3433.