Whether you have been married for a few months or many years, divorce can be a painful, emotionally taxing experience. Mediation is a less expensive, more productive, and less harmful alternative to Divorce litigation. As with collaborative Law, Mediation is a structured process that provides an alternative to the unnecessary expense and emotional turmoil of divorce litigation. The mediator provides a safe atmosphere and the leadership to help the parties have a series of discussions that focus on uncovering the pertinent issues and resolving them with less emotional turmoil and financial expense. Mediation offers you the opportunity to participate in and focus on what is important to you, your family, and your future.

How Mediation works:

You and your spouse hire one person, an impartial mediator, to assist you in resolving your divorce issues. Mediation is therefore the least expensive Divorce assisted alternative. Mediation is a non-adversarial process in which you and your spouse, with the assistance of the mediator, make decisions that affect your lives and the lives of your children. The agreement that you arrive at must be acceptable to both parties, and the agreement then forms the basis for an uncontested divorce. The key component of mediation is that whether an or not an agreement is reached, and the nature of that agreement, if any, is determined by the parties themselves rather than being imposed by a judge.

The mediator is a neutral party who cannot order either of you to do anything. He or she will help to defuse emotions, and guide both of you through the web of difficult issues. Through extensive training and experience, mediators can often suggest creative solutions to problems that the parties may have considered insoluble. They deal with every issue involved in the dissolution of a marriage: Distribution of property and debts, child custody and support issues, spousal support, and assistance in virtually every subject necessary to lead to a complete agreement and uncontested divorce. Instead of airing these personal and often painful subjects in a public arena (the courtroom), you deal with them in the privacy and confidential setting of the mediator’s office. The costs are significantly less than battling it out with opposing divorce attorneys. Most importantly, the process helps the parties avoid destructive battles, which impact upon children of the marriage.

Key advantages to Mediation: