Many couples throughout the United States get a divorce. Statistics show that a divorce occurs once every 36 seconds in the United States. While there’s nothing wrong with divorcing, it’s important to handle this situation the right way. Certain couples feel the need to get lawyers involved and begin a litigated divorce. Before contacting your lawyer, you might want to think about divorce mediation. With that in mind, here are five important benefits of mediating a divorce.
- Experiencing a Less Stressful Divorce
Divorces can be stressful experiences. When you have lawyers for each party arguing with each other, it can make anyone feel stressed out. Fortunately, mediating a divorce is often a much less stressful process. Instead of having lawyers present, each party gets to speak on their own behalf. In fact, over 66% of couples mediating a divorce were satisfied with the outcome of the entire process. This isn’t something you’ll often hear both parties say after a litigated divorce. - Helps Decide Complex Custody Issues
It’s extremely important to mediate your divorce when children are involved. Many couples get married, have children, and figure out later that it’s time to get divorced. This leads to situations where each party understandably wants some type of custody. Mediating a divorce allows couples to come to an agreement. This is a much better option than having your children deal with this type of uncertainty. - Avoiding the Courtroom Experience
Most people don’t spend a lot of time in courtrooms. These locations always tend to be busy during operating hours. In addition, you’ll likely have people walking in and out of courtrooms. Someone going through a divorce is likely dealing with a lot of stress. Therefore, having to constantly visit a busy courthouse adds even more stress to divorce proceedings. However, your divorce doesn’t have to be resolved in a large courtroom. Instead, you can have your divorce mediated. In many cases, this means being a room with only the other party and your mediator. - Mediating Completes the Divorce Process Quickly
Many couples find that divorce litigation takes quite some time. These proceedings often last longer during situations where properties, vehicles, and other things need to be divided. If you’re dealing with divorce separation and property agreements, it’s best to contact a mediator. Mediation often completes divorce proceeding in a few months that could take several years in other settings. In addition to being faster, couples mediation tends to cost less than litigation. In fact, one study found that divorce mediation costs 40%-60% less than litigating. - Much More Flexible Than Standard Divorce Proceedings
If you’re having your divorce litigated, be prepared to adhere to other people’s schedules. Typically, you’ll need to plan your life around when your lawyer is available. In addition, the other party in your divorce will be doing the same thing. This often makes a divorce even harder on couples than it has to be. In certain situations, you can mediate a divorce while being connected virtually. This works best for couples that don’t want to be in the same room but need divorce proceedings taken care of.
To summarize, there are many advantages to mediating a divorce. This process involves the two people needing a divorce and a mediator. Mediating a divorce works well for couples needing help with all aspects of a divorce. Therefore, everything from child custody to dividing up finances can be completed through divorce mediation. If you’re wanting a quick and less stressful divorce process, contact a mediator.