Divorce Attorney

Mediation: An Informal Way To Divorce

Mediation in its broader sense means to basically use third party assistance to resolve a dispute between two or more individuals or bodies and enable them to come to a mutually amicable resolution. This is a form of ADR or alternative dispute resolution. Disputants can include states, communities, organizations and individuals who share a vested interest in the conclusion and outcome of the issue. It is the mediator's job to use specific techniques and skills to open or improve dialogue between the involved parties.

The primary aim is to find a mutual agreement on the disputed issue. However, a mediator must be seen as impartial or unbiased by both parties. Mediation can be used in a variety of different fields such as legal, diplomacy, commercial, community, work place, and of course family and divorce issues.

Divorce mediation focuses on solutions for disputed issues such as custody matters or support from the spouse, but is not as formal as court proceedings. During the process of divorce mediation, both parties along with their attorneys meet a court appointed third party who serves as the mediator. The mediator then assists with the negotiations for a resolution of the divorce. The aim is to allow the parties to clear up any disagreements, discuss issues of contention, and attempt to come to a mutually agreed upon decision. The mediator here is always an objective party and helps both the parties to come to an agreement by acting as an intermediary. They are allowed to give their opinions and suggestions on the issue but cannot force any form of agreement on the parties.

There are several advantages to opting for this particular method of resolution of divorce disputes.

Divorce Mediation: Time and money saving advantages

In the case of a successful divorce mediation, the formal process of the court is not required. Mediations shorten the duration for the divorce proceedings and minimize the caseload of the family court system.

Mediation is usually seen as fair to everyone involved: The mediator or the third party has no personal interest in the outcome and gains absolutely nothing from the ongoing proceedings. Therefore, mediation can give neutral and objective solutions, which may not come so easily to the parties involved. This is because they are both personally and emotionally invested in the process.

Mediation conserves privacy, as it is a confidential process: There is no court reporter to record all the details and notes taken by the mediator, there is no public involved as in court proceedings and therefore, there is no fear of any personal detail being leaked out. Long drawn out divorce proceedings are sufficiently cut down while money for attorney fees is saved. Mediation also skips most of the steps which one would normally have to go through to get a divorce.

One of the main advantages of divorce mediation is the fact that it gives a sense of control to the couple that is getting the divorce. This goes a long way in helping recovery from the separation and moving on with each other's individual lives. Divorce mediation also minimizes chances of conflict, which usually crops up in formal divorce proceedings and allows both spouses to work together in finding a solution. This method facilitates proper dialog and lessens the bitterness between the two.

Needless to say, the emotional and psychological baggage that comes with the territory of divorce is significantly less.