If you are planning on ending your marriage, you may believe that your best option is to do so in a California courtroom. However, it may actually be in your best interest to craft a divorce settlement with the help of a mediator.
What to expect during divorce mediation
The mediation process is a collaborative one, which means that you and your spouse work together to come to a fair settlement. Each session is run by a neutral party who serves as a facilitator. This person’s sole priority is to ensure that each person gets to talk in an open and honest manner. You have significant leeway to determine which issues you want to discuss during a given session. It’s not uncommon for some issues to be resolved through mediation and others to be resolved at trial. However, the goal is to avoid going to court if at all possible.
Mediation can be ideal if you have children
For parents with children, mediation can be an effective tool to shield them from the toxic effects of a divorce. Furthermore, it can be used to create the framework for a custody or visitation plan. It is worth noting that any plan that is agreed to during mediation cannot become official until it is approved by a judge. However, there is a good chance that a judge will approve whatever plan is created outside of court.
As a general rule, mediation can make it easier, less expensive and less stressful to complete the process of ending your marriage. There is a good chance that you will be able to come to terms on most issues without the help of outside parties other than the mediator.