Top Five Reasons to Mediate Your Divorce

Many marriages end in divorce despite everyone’s best efforts to make married life work.  Plus, divorce affects everyone involved, from the spouses to the children. So, you want to use the best and most peaceful method of divorce for everyone’s mental and physical well-being. That is where divorce mediation comes into play.

Mediation is a better method of settling divorce cases when compared to other methods, notably litigation. Despite what we see on TV or read in the news, divorce can be a smooth experience depending on how you and your spouse handle it. Whether you’re not compatible with your spouse or know divorce is the right move, mediation could be a great way to see you through with minimum difficulty.

Below are five important reasons to choose mediation over litigation:

1. Cost Effective

If you have ever been a party in a litigation or know someone who has, you will know the path to resolution can be tough, costly and the outcome is never certain. A contested divorce usually costs many times more than a mediated one, because every disputed issue adds hearings, discovery and attorney time. Mediation can make the divorce less contentious and more affordable.

2. Less Stress

The litigation process is long, arduous, and grueling. Summons, complaints, petitions, responses, discovery, and possible investigations are all process oriented, which means they have their own unique timeline you have to surrender to. Mediation is less drawn out than litigation. It does not require parties to be represented by attorneys, and does not require judges to make decisions. You control the ability to make your own decisions. Even if the differences are irreconcilable, mediation provides a calmer, more civil setting for an orderly property division, child support or alimony as the case may be.  

3. Level of Neutrality

A mediator is an uninterested, unbiased neutral facilitator. They have no stake in the outcome; they are right in the middle. Their only interest is to help the parties reach a sustainable agreement that addresses each party’s interests and concerns. 

4. Sense of Control

Who is better positioned to call the shots about the future of your family: you or a judge? It’s much better to spend your time resolving your future with your spouse and a trained professional. Mediation allows for greater control over the process. Besides, when people have a resolution imposed on them by a higher authority, it’s human nature for them to resort to so-called “dirty play” to get their desired outcome. When you attend and actively participate in mediation, you and the other party retain control over your case. You don’t place your case, and what could be a large part of your future, in the hands of a third party to make a decision. 

5. Privacy

Divorce proceedings come with testimony and that can become public record. It means that every secret that was sacred and all your dirty laundry exposed in the proceeding is now up for public knowledge. That can become hurtful to all involved and cause deep divides between family members. Mediation is private, so you won’t have to worry about the impact of your decisions on your business, reputation, public image, or those you care for.

At Mediation Solutions, we understand that separation and divorce happen.  We understand the process of separation and divorce, and how divorce can hurt and be painful on a very raw level.  Thus, we aim to help you use mediation as a means to get your divorce done as smoothly and cleanly as possible.  That means providing an experience where the feeling leaves you breathing easy and not feeling like you are a ping-pong ball being hurled about by the paddles of lawyers and judges.  Contact us today to get your free consultation and learn how we can help!  We are located in Huntersville, NC, and serve the greater Charlotte and Lake Norman area.