If you and your spouse decide that mediation is the best way to work through your divorce, it won’t be long before you’re seeking information on what the process entails.
While mediation is not the right solution for every couple, there are many benefits of giving it a try. For example, this can save you both time and money. Furthermore, mediation puts you in position to have more control over the process.
There are many things to expect during mediation, with the following details among the most important:
- First meeting. During this time, you, your spouse, and the mediator will sit down to discuss the issues at hand. This gives you the opportunity to lay everything out on the table, while also getting a better idea of where your spouse stands.
- Additional meetings. With each subsequent meeting, discussions revolve around how to compromise on important issues and reach a final resolution. For example, you may need to discuss matters of property division, spousal support, and child custody.
- The agreement. Once all issues have been resolved, the mediator will create an agreement and file it with the court. By doing so, you are not required to spend any time in court yourself. This helps save you time, while also reducing the stress of the divorce process.
- The length of mediation depends on many factors. For example, this tends to go much faster if both parties are flexible and willing to compromise. Generally speaking, mediation sessions last anywhere from two to three hours. Along with this, the average divorce case takes three to four sessions to work through all the issues.
Even if you are not sure of what to expect, there is nothing wrong with giving mediation a try. If this doesn’t work out, you can always move forward with traditional litigation.
Note: Just because you opt for divorce mediation doesn’t mean you are left to fend for yourself. You can still hire a family law attorney to assist you with everything step of the process, such as helping you negotiate the best possible terms.
With the ability to save time and money, with the ability to eliminate stress, more people than ever are turning to mediation as opposed to litigation.
