You and your spouse have been going through tough times. You’ve been on a retreat; you’ve tried marriage counseling; you even have talked about a “trial separation.” Now you realize that divorce is inevitable. Does that mean that you now have to go to war over how you will divide your property, how much support will be paid, and how you will be taking care of your children?
To answer that question, you need to understand two things: first, the vast majority of divorce cases are resolved without a trial, through a negotiated settlement. Second, if you have children, you are guaranteed to have a future relationship with your soon-to-be ex-spouse, regardless of the children’s age.
Mediation allows you and your spouse to meet with an experienced professional who has thorough knowledge of the issues you are facing, and who can guide the two of you through the divorce process using a problem solving approach rather than pitting you against each other. In a series of sessions, generally around 90 minutes each, you will first be presented with information about property division, parenting, and financial support, then be given tools and guidance in how to gather your financial information, and, finally, be assisted through a process that helps the two of you reach mutually agreeable resolutions of all of the issues.
While mediation does not eliminate the need for lawyers, it limits the amount of time that they need to spend on your case which means that it is almost always considerably less expensive than the traditional approach to divorce.
A successful divorce mediation allows you to put the trauma of divorce behind you so that you can move forward with your life more quickly. It also permits you and your former spouse to work together for your children’s benefit.
Speak to an experienced divorce mediator at Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal about whether divorce mediation will work for you.