The decision to get divorced is just the beginning of what is often a long and complex process. Divorcing couples must address important financial concerns including ownership of marital assets as well as marital debts. If the couple shares children, they will need to determine the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time. It can be exceptionally difficult to have a productive conversation about these issues with someone you are in the middle of divorcing. Old hurts and regrets often steer the conversation off course and lead to arguments instead of resolutions. This is where divorce mediation can be extremely useful.

The Mediator Will Facilitate a Productive Conversation

Family law mediators are third parties who facilitate productive, solution-oriented conversations during divorce. A mediator can help you and your spouse identify the issues that you agree on and those issues you disagree on and then find creative solutions you can both approve of. Instead of telling you what to do, the mediator helps you and your spouse explore the advantages and disadvantages of various solutions. The mediator may also step in and redirect the conversation when it goes off track. This can help you and your spouse avoid futile arguments that only lessen the chances of an out-of-court agreement.

Mediation is Confidential and Cost-Effective

When a divorce case is litigated through the court, personal matters may become a part of the public record. Many spouses want to maintain privacy as much as possible during a divorce. Mediation is a great way to discuss divorce issues without the risk of your discussions becoming public. Keeping matters confidential is especially important when a spouse is well known in the community. Mediation is also less expensive than litigation.

If you are considering filling for divorce in Illinois, did you know you do not have to go through, or can limit your court hearings for your divorce proceedings? Mediation is an alternative to divorce proceedings in front of a judge. Speaking with an experienced mediation attorney can help you understand the process of divorce mediation and how you and your spouse can avoid a lengthy divorce process.

Choosing Mediation

Whether you have children or not, a mediated divorce can be beneficial to couples who are divorcing. You will have more say in how assets, property, and debt are divided and if there will be spousal maintenance payments. If you have children, there will still be some court proceedings in front of a judge because the best interest of the children will be taken into account. In mediation, you can outline terms for child custody and visitation, but they have to be approved by a judge to ensure the children will be taken care of and it is the best situation for them.

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that takes your conflict out of the courtroom and gives you more of a say in what life looks like post-divorce. If your situation is the right fit for mediation, you could save yourself time and money in resolving pressing divorce issues. Even though mediation has a different structure than a courtroom case, you still need to hire an experienced mediator to help you and your spouse talk through the relevant details.

Some couples find the public nature of a courtroom divorce too embarrassing or traumatic. Mediation meetings, on the other hand, can be held in private at your own convenience. You won't have to worry about meeting the schedule of the judge in your case, leading to a long wait if the judge's docket is full. You'll just need to match the schedules of your spouse and the mediator with your own to get started.

A trained mediator will be helpful for steering your conversation the right direction. He or she will gather information about the case and help you negotiate back and forth with the other party to arrive at a conclusion. Typically, this approach yields results much more quickly, and since parties are communicating back and forth, they each play a bigger role in shaping what their own future looks like. This increased opportunity to generate a creative solution can be really appealing if you and your spouse can arrive at a conclusion. Research has found that mediation offers several different benefits to divorcing couples.