Divorce litigation is a contentious process. When you are pitted against your ex and have no say in the outcome of your divorce settlement, traditional divorce proceedings can make it feel like there are “winners” and “losers.” Besides, divorce is almost always costly and time-consuming for the whole family.
Fortunately, traditional divorce is not your only option when it comes to separating from your spouse. More couples today are looking to alternative dispute resolutions like mediation to negotiate the terms of their divorce without setting foot inside a courtroom.
With the guidance of a third-party mediator, you and your ex can settle matters such as child custody and support, alimony, property division and more. If you are planning on getting divorced, here are a few reasons you may want to consider divorce mediation.
Setting your own terms
When a judge sets the terms of your divorce, it doesn’t always lead to favorable outcomes for both parties. In divorce mediation, your mediator serves as an impartial party to keep conversations productive and help you and your ex navigate the terms you want for your divorce. The goal is to ensure both you and your ex agree on terms that work for you both.
Maintaining peace with your ex
If you and your ex have children together, mediation can be an excellent option for keeping the peace and establishing a good working relationship with them. While you don’t necessarily need to be friends with your ex for mediation to be successful, it is a voluntary process. Both of you will need to be willing to compromise for the process to work.
Privacy and confidentiality
Everything that occurs in your divorce mediation is private and confidential. Divorce litigation will become public record, and not everyone wants to air out their dirty laundry to a courtroom. In mediation, the only parties that participate are you, your ex and your mediator, with the option for each party to also have counsel present as needed.
