Is Mediation the Right Choice for My Divorce?
You do not necessarily have to assume that when you engage in the process of filing for divorce in Florida that you and your spouse will be arguing through attorneys in a courtroom.
While there are some couples who cannot come to an agreement over anything and for whom litigation is the best possible option, this is not true for everyone. In fact, this is where mediation comes in play.
You can talk more to your Florida divorce attorney to discover how mediation works and whether it’s the right fit for your situation.
What Happens in Mediation?
During mediation, you sit down a neutral third party who can help you negotiate many of the most common issues that must be determined during a divorce.
Although there are some situations where mediation is a poor choice for resolving issues, there are many cases where it makes sense to try this first.
Mediation usually allows parties to come to an agreeable solution sooner than litigation, and it can also keep your costs down, too.
It is strongly recommended that you have your Tampa divorce lawyer present with you during the mediation hearings as this can help to feel like you have an advocate on your side as you work through these issues.
Mediation is quite different from the formal court process and that you and your spouse will actually be sitting down together to work through the key issues.
Many trained mediators in the state of Florida are taught to value trust-building and niceness between parties so that both people can work together to reach a mutually agreeable solution.
A new study published in Management Science indicates that in some situation a mediator can toggle between niceness and hostility in order to encourage adversaries to come to an agreement.
Identifying the appropriate mediator to work with you is an important step in moving forward with the divorce process.
During mediation, you and your spouse can sit down at the same table to discuss issues or the mediator may shuttle back and forth between the two rooms.
In either case, the primary issues of your divorce will be discussed including child custody, child support, spousal support and division of property.
If you and your spouse are able to agree on some but not others, then the mediators will come back and forth with various suggested solutions. You can negotiate and cooperate with your former spouse in order to arrive at a solution.
Benefits of Choosing Mediation
Mediation has numerous benefits including that it is less expensive and less time intensive in many cases when it comes to divorce.
If you and your spouse have been able to come to a generally agreeable point of communication in order to terminate the marriage, there is no need to raise emotions and escalate conflict by taking the matters into litigation.
Instead you can sit down quietly and privately in mediation sessions and discuss what is best for you and your family.
On sticking points, the mediator may help you work through the various issues associated with arriving at a solution, but here she is not responsible for making that decision for you.
Instead, the mediator is responsible for helping guide you and the other party towards a mutually agreeable result.
If you and your former spouse are able to sit down, communicate and cooperate with one another, you may have a better chance of resolving these pertinent divorce issues early on.
This puts less pressure on you and any children associated with you and your former spouse so that you can move on from your old life as amicable as possible.
Arguing with your former spouse and dragging things out in litigation can be expensive and it can also take an emotional toll on you.
You’re much better off when you partner with a divorce lawyer (find out which type of case you have) who can help you through the mediation process and guide you towards a result that involves less drama, less money and less time invested in haggling over issues with your former spouse.
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Call a Knowledgeable Florida Divorce Attorney
If you’re ready to talk options, contact a Tampa family attorney today to learn more about how mediation can help you.
Discover more details about collaborative divorce, another way to end your marriage without the pressure of litigation, here: https://www.bchanlaw.com/the-benefits-of-a-collaborative-divorce/
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