How Hiring a Mediator Can Be the Best Decision for Your Divorce

How Hiring a Mediator Can Be the Best Decision for Your Divorce

Once you have reached the decision to divorce your spouse, you need to go through the lengthy divorce process. Today, there are numerous avenues for legally separating from your partner, and one of them is mediation. Sometimes a mediator can be a much better individual to hire than an attorney, and you should really weigh the benefits before going with one method or the other.

 

Neutral Party

When you hire a lawyer to represent you, that person is fighting for you to get the best deal possible. However, your spouse will also be hiring a lawyer who is actively working against you to give your former husband or wife the best deal possible. Someone skilled with mediation is only interested in being neutral facilitator of effective communications and negotiations and ensuring both people receive a fair shake. This is sometimes preferable, especially if the two of you still get along relatively well.

 

Positive for Children

Divorce is usually going to be tough on any kids you have regardless of how peaceful it goes. However, mediation generally makes the process much easier on any children you share with your spouse. One reason for this is that meeting with a mediator causes less stress than meeting with lawyers. This means you will be more attentive at home. Additionally, taking a divorce to the courtroom means that any dirty laundry gets aired in a public setting. This can affect children’s perceptions of their parents. Mediation ensures that the hostility and tension of court-based divorce is kept at a minimum.

 

Save Money

Getting a divorce might be something you absolutely need to have. However, no matter which way you slice it, this process is going to cost you money. Hiring lawyers and spending a lot of time in court-based proceedings and tactics can add up quickly, and you might end up losing a lot of money over this divorce. Although mediation naturally costs money just like anything else, it is substantially less than what you would pay a lawyer for essentially the same work. Your final cost will depend on how long the mediation process takes and how long each session lasts for. Generally speaking, mediation can cost between 40 percent to 60 percent less than traditional litigation.

There are various advantages to hiring a mediator to oversee your divorce or legal separation proceedings. Unless there is a complete breakdown in communication between you and your spouse, mediation is an excellent alternative to pursue.