What Exactly Is Mediation During A Divorce?

Mediation is when both parties in the divorce sit down with a third party, who may be either a lawyer or a non-lawyer, and go through all of the issues so they can try to come to a resolution that’s acceptable to everyone.

There are a number of benefits to mediation, including that it is much less expensive than paying two separate lawyers; the mediator prepares the paperwork required for both sides, listens to both sides and help to resolve all issues. I go to court with the parties to make sure everything is done correctly so that all parties can answer any questions the court may have. It is usually much better for the parties to resolve their issues themselves than to end up in litigation and involve attorneys, who will fight with each other due to their egos or to use up their retainers.

The attorneys may present all the issues to a judge who won’t know anything about either party other than what they were told at the time of the divorce, and the judge will have to make decisions that could greatly affect their lives, even if he’s having a bad day; there is no way to know what the judge may decide, which is why it is so much better if the parties decide their own fate.

That’s why mediation is in the best interest of the parties’ health and welfare, especially if they have children; it’s always in the best interest of the children to have their parents resolve issues themselves and not have unrelated parties insert their opinion. Mediation is best because the parties know their own family better than anyone else and are much better suited to resolve their own issues, and it leads to an uncontested divorce, which is the least expensive and least stressful type.

Is Mediation More Affordable Than a Typical Divorce?

Mediation is definitely less expensive because, in a typical divorce, each party will usually hire a lawyer and they will spend a lot of time in court awaiting their turn, meeting with family relations.  Mediation definitely costs much less money with mediation because they’re dealing with one person and they would not have to wait around for any of their turns and moreover, they would not be fighting.

What Can Be Included In The Mediation Process?

Every civil issue involved in a regular divorce, including custody, visitation, child support, alimony, property settlements, college registration, health insurance, life insurance and any other issue that needs to be decided in a divorce can be decided as part of the mediation process. It all depends on how complicated the issues were. Most issues can usually be resolved within a 90-day waiting period, which means the divorce will conclude much sooner than the usual divorce, which can take up to a year.

For more information on Mediation in The Divorce Process, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you’re seeking by calling (203) 929-7771 today.