As far too many Tennessee residents have discovered first hand, litigating a divorce can mean spending many thousands of dollars. While divorce mediation is certainly not free of expenses, those who opt for this solution can save a lot of money. However, most attorneys would take this opportunity to tell potential clients that cost alone is not always a factor in choosing how to approach an impending divorce.
In addition to reduced costs, divorce mediation offers couples several valuable benefits. These advantages include the following:
- Divorce mediation typically proceeds faster than litigation
- Mediation is usually confidential and can protect the privacy of the divorcing couple
- Often, mediation leads to more cooperation when settling important matters like child custody and support
- The more informal setting of mediation facilitates better communication and engagement between parties
- Most couples report achieving excellent results through divorce mediation
Of course, mediation may not work for all couples. For example, if a couple is always combative with one another, a traditional divorce may offer better results. In another example, many experts believe that divorce mediation is less fair and effective in abusive relationships.
Other disadvantages include the absence of formal rules and a risk that a spouse may be better able to withhold the truth about important issues. Finally, you should understand that occasionally divorce mediation does not work out, meaning that the couple may have to resort to litigation after already paying for mediation.
In the end, it is probably worth your time to discuss divorce mediation and other methods of divorce with a legal professional. This will help you make the right decision on how to end your unhappy marriage.
Source: FindLaw, “The Advantages of Mediation Cases over Traditional Lawsuits,” accessed Jan. 19, 2018
