If you watch television dramas, you’d think every divorce is a messy, litigious affair. They aren’t. More and more couples realize that working together, rather than against each other, can make for an easier divorce.
Mediation is one way of doing this. It involves bringing a neutral third-party mediator in to help you and your spouse negotiate. You can each have your own attorney present if you wish. Here are some of the reasons to consider it.
It can save you time and money
Divorcing will put a dent in your finances as it is. Why make it more expensive and time-consuming than necessary by going to court to argue over things you could discuss outside?
For mediation to work, both spouses need to enter with the right attitude and be committed to working towards the future rather than fighting about the past.
It can reduce the emotional damage
Think about how you felt the last time you had a big argument with your spouse. If you take your litigate your divorce, it’s going to be even worse. Many ex-couples struggle to speak to each other years after their divorce because of the hurt they caused each other during it.
Mediating aims to cut out the arguments and focus on solving problems. It should result in less emotional damage for both parties and those close to them.
It can make co-parenting easier
Reducing the bad blood between you is even more important if you share children. You need to work together to raise them, and that will be hard if you have just spent months blaming each other in court.
There is legal help available to understand more about mediation and other ways of handling your divorce.