On television, divorces are almost always knock-down, drag-out battles between each spouse. In reality, though, the end of your marriage does not have to be such a brutal fight. If you and your spouse agree to mediation, you may spend little time in open court.
With divorce mediation, you and your soon-to-be ex-husband or -wife work collaboratively with a professional mediator to solve a variety of issues, ranging from property division to child custody. At the end of the process, you should have a working mediated settlement agreement.
1. The agreement is binding
The mediated settlement agreement you reach with your spouse is binding on both of you. Consequently, you and your husband or wife must collaborate in good faith, only making manageable concessions. Furthermore, you should understand the ins and outs of the agreement before finalizing it.
2. The agreement may be a partial one
After you have a mediated settlement agreement, your and your spouse’s attorneys are likely to draft a proposed divorce decree for a judge to review. Your settlement agreement does not have to address all outstanding matters, though. If there are sticking points, your settlement agreement may be a partial one that leaves unaddressed items to the judge.
3. The agreement may save you money
Sometimes, lengthy and costly court proceedings are the only one way to solve divorce-related issues. If you can work through most matters in mediation, you are apt to save some money. After your divorce becomes final, you can use any financial resources mediation saves you to start the next chapter of your life.
