Divorce mediation was once a niche solution that few people knew about, let alone employed during their divorces. That has changed.
Mediation has become a popular tool for handling issues in a pending divorce. There are many possible benefits to employing mediation, including the four below.
Mediation can keep your costs low
The amount of time you spend preparing for court and the time that you take in court when you litigate your divorce will drastically increase how much the process costs you. When you successfully mediate the terms for your divorce, you can file for an uncontested divorce. That means faster divorce proceedings and less overall expense.
Mediation lets you keep things private
Anything that you say in court can eventually come back to haunt you. It becomes part of the public record unless the judge agrees to seal certain records. Mediation is confidential under California law, which means that you can discuss even the most upsetting and embarrassing aspects of your marriage without anyone else learning about them.
Mediation takes the strain off of your children
Divorce brings up a lot of feelings for parents and kids alike. Worries about obligations to testify in court can affect children’s mental health and school performance. When you resolve custody issues in mediation, you take that pressure off of the children because they don’t have to testify in court or talk with a judge about their wishes.
Mediation lets you focus on what matters to you
A judge will do their best to create fair resolutions to the issues in your divorce, but they can’t necessarily uphold your emotional wishes. The things that matter the most to you can be the terms that you fight for when you mediate. Since you have control over every aspect of the process, you have the power source for the terms and concessions that matter the most to you.
If you think mediation could work for your divorce, you may want to begin planning now for how to handle negotiating with your ex. If successful, you can enjoy a faster, less expensive and more private divorce.