It doesn’t matter how you decide to move forward with the divorce process, you know there will be challenges along the way.
Fortunately, if you’re able to use mediation to your advantage, you can speed up the process while also saving money.
Many people shy away from mediation because they don’t know what to expect. However, as they learn more about the process and how it will unfold, they come to find that it’s the right decision.
Here is a breakdown of the mediation process:
- First meeting. During this meeting, you sit down with your soon-to-be ex-spouse and the mediator to discuss the issues at hand. You should lay everything out in clear terms, as you don’t want there to be any gray area in regards to what you hope to accomplish.
- Additional meetings. This is when you discuss all your issues out in the open, allowing the mediator to help push the process forward. You need to remain flexible during these meetings if you want to move closer to a resolution.
- An agreement is reached. Once you reach a decision on every issue, ranging from child custody to property division, the mediator will draft an agreement and the paperwork will be filed with the court.
This is a basic breakdown of what happens during divorce mediation, but it should provide you with a good idea of what to expect.
As long as you know what you want to accomplish, understand your legal rights and are willing to compromise, you can make the most of divorce mediation. This allows you to efficiently put your marriage in the past.
Source: FindLaw, “Divorce Mediation FAQ,” accessed March 22, 2018
