Considering going through a divorce by using mediation? Here is what you should know.
Getting a divorce is not always an easy decision to come to. Whatever may precipitate the need for separation can be less than civil, but that doesn’t mean that the divorce process has to be as well. Divorce mediation is a great option for couples that are separating on generally amicable terms that don’t want to get court mandates or rulings involved. If you’re considering using mediation for your divorce, here are a few things that you should know going into the process.
Make Sure You’re Both Ready to Mediate
Mediation is a great option for many couples who are able to have a discussion about the separation of physical or liquid assets, custody schedules, and anything else that needs to be divided or discussed during the divorce process. A divorce mediator will be there to help you work through everything you need to, but you should make sure that you’re prepared to talk things through and make compromises that work for both parties.
Think About What’s Best For Your Children
If you have children with your spouse, it’s important to think about what is best for your children when you’re creating a custody agreement. Does it make more sense to have one of you pick them up from school? Does one parent live closer to certain extracurricular activities or have a more flexible schedule? Taking all of these things into consideration is important during divorce mediation. Be ready to discuss what the best options are even if you have to compromise what you want -- that’s what mediation is all about.
Come Prepared
At your first divorce mediation session, you want to make sure that you’re fully prepared for the discussions that you’ll have. Try to create a list of all of your assets and possessions before the first meeting to make sure that you know what you’ll be discussing. You can also bring other documents such as your children's schedules, bank statements, or other documents with important information about your assets. The more prepared you are for your mediation session the more smoothly everything will go, so try leaning more towards the side of being over prepared rather than under prepared.
Make Sure to Have Goals
When it comes to divorce mediation, you get out of it what you put into it. If you enter your mediation sessions with unclear goals, it can be difficult to end up with a result that makes you happy. If you have specific goals in mind and specific things that you’re willing, or unwilling, to compromise on, you can walk away with decisions that you’re okay with. If you know that you want to get a certain piece of art or car that you and your spouse co-own, make sure that you’re willing to compromise on something else to make what you want possible. Keep in mind that a divorce mediation only works if both parties are willing to discuss and compromise, so you’ll have to have specific goals to achieve to help you stay on track.
Divorce mediation can be a great way to make sure that you and your spouse are both getting what you want out of your divorce. Whether that means having your children for certain holidays or events, getting your favorite piece of art, or keeping the house, you should make sure that you’re being smart about the preparation to make the process smooth and easy for both parties. Go into the sessions with clear goals and expectations to ensure that you can stay on track during the process and the mediation process can be as easy as possible.
For more information, visit: https://www.divorcereality.com/
