Once you decide to divorce, it’s commonplace to turn your attention to the process itself, your legal rights and the steps you can take to reduce stress and protect your interests.
Many divorcing couples believe that mediation has no chance of working for them. They assume that the cause of their divorce will make it impossible to negotiate and compromise. However, before you trick yourself into believing this, it’s important to note that divorce mediation is often the best way to end your marriage.
The benefits of divorce mediation
With the help of a mediator, you and your spouse will settle on the terms and conditions of your divorce. There’s no court system or family law judge getting in the way.
Here are some of the other benefits of mediation:
- More control: You don’t have full control over the process, as you have to take your soon-to-be ex-spouse into consideration, but it’s up to the two of you to make final decisions. The mediator is available to guide you, but they don’t have the legal authority to make you do anything.
- Avoid additional stress: It’s safe to assume that divorce has already placed a lot of stress on you, your spouse and your children. Mediation can help avoid additional stress, thus creating a more positive environment moving forward. This is critical if you’ll be co-parenting your children in the future.
- The opportunity to make better financial decisions for your family: For example, if you’re wondering who will stay in the family home, it may make sense for the person with physical custody of your children to do so. These are the types of decisions you can make in mediation. There’s no one telling you what to do.
Regardless of the circumstances associated with divorce, mediation is an option to consider. There’s always a chance that it won’t work, and in that case you can turn your attention to litigation.
But before you write this off, take into consideration the many benefits of divorce mediation. You may find that it’s the best way to dissolve your marriage in a time- and cost-efficient manner.
