Divorce is a lot. The terms you settle in your divorce affect both your parental and financial rights. Further, the emotional rollercoaster that is divorce can make amicably hammering out mutually acceptable divorce terms feel next to impossible. On top of all this, there is the global pandemic to factor in, and while we are inching our way back to something that resembles normal, we are not there yet. Nevertheless, there is good news – you do not have to face divorce alone; you and your divorcing spouse can attend online mediation, and having an experienced McLennan County divorce attorney on your side can help ensure that your rights are well protected throughout the divorce process.
The Terms of Your Divorce
While your divorce will not mirror anyone else’s exactly, you must address all of the same terms that every other divorcing couple must, including (as applicable):
The equitable division of your marital property
Your child custody arrangements
Child support
Alimony
The more terms that you and your divorcing spouse can agree to, the fewer you will need the court to weigh in on. Further, you and your divorcing spouse will not be required to suddenly acquire stellar negotiation skills that allow you to effortlessly find a middle ground. Instead, meditation – a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) – is available to you, and if you are both willing to negotiate in good faith, mediation can be highly effective.
Mediation Lends Itself Well to the Online Space
Whether your mediation is through Zoom or another video chat platform (there are others that are considered more secure for private legal matters such as mediation), divorce mediation adapts easily to this medium. At mediation, you, your divorcing spouse, your respective divorce attorneys, and the mediator will all come together for a relatively short amount of time in which the mediation parameters are set. From here, the mediator – who is a professional with training and experience helping couples like you come to a meeting of the minds on important divorce matters that will directly affect your future – will go back and forth between the two of you (and your respective divorce attorneys). With each back-and-forth visit, your mediator will attempt to nudge each of you a bit closer to a compromise while exploring options you may not have considered before. Because the mediation process is quite informal, the video chat platform can feel like a very good fit.
The Upside to Mediation
Mediation has quite a bit to recommend it, including:
It can save you considerable legal expenses.
It can save you a considerable amount of time.
It can help you keep your divorce out of court.
It allows you and your divorcing spouse to retain control over matters that directly affect you.
Unlike divorce court, it is a private matter.