If you and your spouse are facing divorce, one of your main concerns is the impact this decision will have on your children.
As an alternative to litigation, divorce mediation has become popular with parents who want to reduce the level of stress and uncertainty for their kids.
Understanding the process
As opposed to a divorce in court where the process is open to public scrutiny, mediation occurs outside of court and privacy is one of the benefits. You and your spouse would meet with a neutral third party, a mediator whose focus is on ensuring that the two of you communicate openly as you work to develop a divorce settlement agreement. Mediation is generally a much faster process than litigation and therefore a less expensive alternative. Keep in mind that in the event you cannot agree on all aspects of your divorce agreement, you still have the option of going to court.
Managing emotions
A divorce is certainly an emotional event, but mediation reduces the level of anxiety and tempers the animosity that often exists in litigation. By learning how to communicate to achieve your objectives, you and your soon-to-be-ex can work out all the aspects of property settlement as well as matters concerning spousal support and child support. The mediator will guide you through the various phases of the process including putting together a parenting plan that focuses on the best interests of your children.
Building a future
The ability to communicate effectively will be valuable to you as you continue to raise your children in the post-divorce world. And in making your divorce easier for them to understand and accept, mediation will help you build a new framework for family relationships going forward.
