If you are facing a divorce, you are facing considerable uncertainty, and it is never easy. There are certain things that you can do, however, to help ensure that your divorce goes as smoothly as possible and that you maintain as much control over its outcome as possible. One option that can help considerably is mediation, and working closely with an experienced Florence divorce attorney is well-advised.
Mediation: What’s It All About
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that allows you to keep your divorce-related decision-making between yourselves. At mediation, a professional mediator – who is a neutral third party – will help you find common ground in which you can hammer out divorce compromises that you are both willing to sign off on, and there can be significant benefits to going this route.
Mediation Is Less Time-Consuming (and Less Expensive)
While mediation is unlikely to be a walk in the park, it does allow you to keep the decision making between yourselves – and on your own timeline. You will not need to wait endlessly to get on the court’s docket, and you can proceed at your own pace. If your finances are very complicated and/or there is a good deal of distance between the two of you on the terms that apply, you can expect your mediation process to be lengthier, but it is almost certain to save you both time and money when compared to going to court. As long as both you and your divorcing spouse are committed to negotiating in good faith, mediation may be a decent option for you.
Mediation Is Private
While your divorce decree will be a matter of public record – no matter how you get there – the mediation process (unlike the transcript from your final divorce hearing) is private. Many couples would prefer to keep this information private, and mediation gives you this opportunity. Further, the offers that either of you proposes during mediation are not admissible in court, and your mediator cannot be called to testify regarding the mediation process (if your case does proceed to court).
Mediation Often Benefits the Kids
Divorce is difficult on children, but mediation can help make the process less harrowing for your children in all the following ways:
Because mediation tends to be speedier, your children won’t be in limbo as long.
Mediation also tends to be less adversarial, which means less stress for everyone, including your children.
Finally, since mediation is a collaboration of sorts, you’re likely to have less lingering hostility after the fact, which can make moving forward less painful for both you and your children.
An Experienced Florence Divorce Attorney Can Help
Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Florence, Texas, is a trusted divorce attorney who understands how important the mediation process is to you and who is committed to applying the full force of his exemplary experience in focused pursuit of divorce terms that protect your rights and work for you. To learn more, please do not wait to contact us online or call us at 254-501-4040 today.
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