When Divorce Mediation is Better

 Posted on November 04, 2013 in Divorce

Divorce is one of the most difficult times that a person can go through. Though divorce is extremely common—according to the Center for Disease Control, the number of divorces and annulments has continued to increase since 2009, after slowing slightly during the Great Recession—some feel a stigma upon marital dissolution. Often, there are complicated matters to deal with, such as child custody or joint parenting. “Shared physical custody is increasingly common in divorce courts across the nation,” Parenting magazine reports. Though this can be good for children of divorce, it can be all the more difficult for divorcing parents.

Working out a plan for shared custody is best done between the parents before getting to court. Reaching an agreement involving child custody is just one aspect of a divorce that is best handled through mediation, instead of legal proceedings. According to NBC News, “divorce proceedings can range anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Estimates on the average cost of a divorce in the U.S. range from $15,000 to $30,000.” A large chunk of this bill can be eradicated through divorce mediation. “During mediation,” reports NBC News, “the couple hires a mediator trained in conflict resolution and family law (and often, but not always a lawyer) to oversee their negotiations.”

Not only can a mediator help guide you through some of the more difficult areas disagreement, a mediator can “advise you about potential financial and custodial arrangements, and will help to reopen the discussion if things break down,” reports NBC.

If you and your ex are young, divorce mediation could be an especially beneficial avenue to pursue. Young couples usually have less complicated finances to deal with, and sometimes have less deep-seeded negative bias. However, “some divorces are,” according to the American Bar Association, “simply not suitable for mediation.”

If you or someone you know is considering divorce and want to determine if mediation is best for you, don’t go through it alone. Seek the counsel of a qualified family law attorney today.