Divorce does not have to be an adversarial process. Mediation provides the spouses an opportunity to divorce without animosity while considering not only their own needs, but the needs of their soon-to-be ex-spouse, and that in and of itself is admirable.
How Mediation Works
You and your spouse would meet with a mediator who is neutral. Being neutral does not mean that the mediator does not care about you or your situation. The role of the mediator is not to give you legal advice, but to explain the laws relevant to your case, should you so wish, and to guide you in ways that you both can come to an agreement on the issues of your case.
The role of the mediator is to help both parties:
1. Identify the issues they believe need to be resolved.
2. Identify common needs and interests.
3. Explore settlement alternatives.
4. Explain the strength and weaknesses of their points of view, IF the participants want to know.
5. Obtain necessary advice from professionals.
There may be a number of issues and compromise is essential in order to accomplish the ultimate goal which is a peaceful resolution. Compromising on one issue would make it easier to get what you want on another separate issue. This is important when you consider the benefits of mediation.
Benefits of Mediation
The benefits of the Mediation process are:
- It is a confidential process. The only thing that gets filed with the court in Mediation is the divorce initiating documents and the final settlement agreement. When the court approves the settlement agreement, it becomes the final divorce decree.
- It saves time and money. The parties can schedule their mediation sessions and are not directed by the court to stay on the court’s timeline.
- The spouses control the decision-making. They decide what is best for them, not the court.
- When two people put together their own agreement, chances are pretty good that they’ll both be satisfied with it and more likely to follow its terms.
Kim Mediation and Law Center Can Help
At Kim Mediation and Law Center, we help make your divorce one that focuses on having a respectful and cooperative outcome. We assist you in making your own settlement agreement.
We can bring in experts who work with us as a team to help iron out complex issues. For example, a financial expert helps so you know the value of your assets and the tax implications of division. A child psychologist may be brought in to help make decisions about custody and visitation for your children.
Contact us to schedule a consultation. We will begin the process of helping you make your own life decisions and not leave those decisions to a court.