Like numerous other aspects of the American legal system, divorce is an adversarial process. When faced with the prospect of divorce, many people think of drawn out child custody battles, unending disputes over marital property and assets, and the heavy emotional burden that comes with ending a marriage.
Although your pending divorce may seem poised for contention, the truth is that with some guidance from your attorney, you and your spouse can set differences aside and reach peaceful, timely and mutually beneficial divorce agreements through mediation.
What can mediation do for me?
When it comes to divorce and other family law matters, mediation provides an opportunity for people to avoid many of the pitfalls that accompany litigation. Instead putting your fate in the hands of the courts, mediation allows you and your spouse to work through your differences and find creative solutions that work for both parties. An impartial mediator can help guide the discussion while keeping both of you focused on the task at hand.
Some of the key benefits of mediation include:
- Time is money – No one wants their proceedings to drag on for months or even years. By sitting down to a few mediation sessions, you can work through most or all of your divorce agreements in a timely manner. Instead of hanging in divorce limbo while litigating your case, you can move forward with your life.
- Cut costs – Going to trial is expensive. The longer your divorce goes, the more your legal fees are going to pile up. Mediation saves you a great deal of time, and subsequently, a significant amount of money.
- Spare the kids – All too often kids get caught in the middle of divorcing parents. Instead of putting children through the emotional trauma of going to court and watching mom and dad argue, mediation provides a private, more peaceful setting that shields children from parental disputes.
- Alleviate stress – Mediation puts the power in your hands. You and your spouse control what will happen, which eliminates a lot of the worry and stress that comes with divorce.
As you can see, there are plenty of benefits to resolving your divorce or other family law issues through mediation. Your attorney can explain how mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) can benefit you.
