The Main Benefits of Mediation in Divorce Cases
When faced with the prospect of an impending divorce, most people immediately think about going to court; rather than trying to speak to their spouse about getting help from a marriage counseling professional.
However, the thought of dragging your personal life before a judge can often be terrifying for many individuals, and can add extra stress, anxiety and upset to a situation that is already tense and in some cases, unwanted. Many married couples who are planning to end their marriage do not realize that there’s actually a calmer, less daunting alternative to the courtroom in divorce mediation. Mediation is performed by an unbiased third party, known as a mediator, who will help the couple to come to agreements on various issues in a safe, secure environment outside of the courtroom. Mediation can make divorce cases much easier to deal with for all parties if they do go to court, and in many cases, mediation can even help couples to avoid dragging their divorce through the court altogether.
Less Daunting
Nobody likes the idea of having to go to court to fight somebody who they once vowed to spend the rest of their life with, but if you and your ex-spouse don’t seem to be able to agree on anything when it comes to ending your marriage, you might feel like you have no other option. This is where mediation comes in – with the help of a trained third-party, you will both be able to speak without arguing and address the most important issues that you will both need to face during this stressful time, such as decisions about finances or children that you have together. Divorce mediation will allow you to speak clearly and openly, encourage you to compromise, and help you to get the results that you need.
photo Koshy Koshy
Better for Children
For many married couples who have children, divorce is a stressful ordeal for all of the family. Going to court can only make things worse in many cases, and even if your children do not actually attend any of the court hearings, simply being in this family situation can have a long-lasting effect on them and their emotional and mental well-being, something which could even cause problems with their health or education at the time and even in the future. Since mediation is a much less aggressive, calmer method of working things out, it’s not only good for parents’ stress levels, but it can be a far better choice for your children, too.
Cost Effective
Another benefit of choosing mediation over going to court when it comes to getting divorced is that it almost always costs less than litigation. If you can manage to work through most of your issues and come to agreements about the main things affected by your divorce in mediation, there’s a much smaller chance that you’ll need to go to court, or it’s likely that the only court visit you will need is that one in which you’ll finalize the divorce. Because of this, if you’re already on a budget and don’t want your divorce to end up costing you dearly, mediation could be an excellent option to consider.
Who Can Benefit from Mediation
Although mediation in divorce can definitely have a lot of positive benefits for everybody involved, there are some cases where mediation may not be the best choice. Mediation works well for couples who are divorcing but are still able to have a conversation, respect each other’s opinions and ideas, and can get their point across in a mature, non-aggressive manner. Cases where domestic violence or abuse is involved, for example, will probably not benefit as much from mediation and are best handled in court. On the other hand, if you are separating from your partner due to other reasons and do not have any charges to bring against them, mediation is definitely worth considering. It’s important to remember that mediation will require you to discuss important issues such as finances, children, pensions, custody, alimony, sale of joint assets, and more, so if you think that either you or your partner will find it difficult to do this, perhaps mediation is not for you. It’s a good idea to openly discuss your concerns with your divorce attorney to ensure that in opting for mediation, you are making the right decision.
Getting divorced is never an easy process, and for couples who go to court, it can be even more stressful. Thankfully, mediation is an alternative, less daunting option which allows you to work out your issues and come to important agreements without going in front of a judge.
Author: Joao Pedro
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