Divorce is not an easy process to work through, but it can be essential to the healthy, happiness, and wellbeing of you, your spouse, and your children. Utilizing a divorce mediation attorney can help you and your spouse arrive at mutually agreeable terms. With a mutual divorce agreement, you can move on with the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have arrived at an agreement that protects your rights and serves your best interests.
The Potential of Mediation
Many divorces follow on the heels of a spiteful relationship between two former spouses. When the process of divorce begins, numerous issues may arise that can add to this stress, including the process of dividing marital assets and considerations for the care of any children. Through mediation, divorcing couples can make strides toward mutual agreement and understanding rather than continuing a contentious feud over the details.
Divorce mediation is the process of meeting with a neutral third party who is specially trained to help you resolve common divorce issues. In most cases, mediation proves less strenuous than traditional divorce litigation and can help you make decisions regarding multiple aspects of your relationship before you finalize your divorce, including child support, child custody, spousal support, the division of assents and more. Deciding to use divorce mediation can benefit both spouses personally and economically, and can feature significant advantages for your children, as well.
Personal and Relationship Benefits
Divorce mediation is focused on developing understanding and communication on the way to a final resolution for the issues inherent to your divorce. The mediation process was designed to allow a mediator to resolve the tension between you and your spouse to create a functional future for yourselves. By choosing to incorporate divorce mediation into the process of marriage dissolution, you are selecting empathy over conflict and egocentric behavior.
The use of a neutral third party can help you assess the details of your marriage by implementing critical problem-solving skills. Your mediator, usually an attorney specially trained in divorce mediation, will not guide you to a particular solution, but instead help you and your spouse stay on track to make informed decisions for yourselves. Lack of communication is a common reason for divorce and ending your relationship by focusing on quality communication during mediation can provide a much-needed release of tension through conflict resolution. The skills you learn during mediation may also help you approach future interpersonal conflict more productively.
Economic Benefits
Most divorce mediators are trained professionals with an in-depth knowledge of Illinois divorce, child support, spousal support, and property division laws. As such, one of the main goals of divorce mediation can be to find a cost-effective resolution to any disputes you may have over property, child custody, child support, assets, or other components of your shared lives. Although a mediator cannot influence you or your spouse to arrive at a particular financial decision, the presence of a mediator along with your respective divorce attorneys can help you ensure you arrive at a sound decision.
In addition, disputes during traditional divorce litigation, whether over property, assets, or details about your children, is expensive. You will pay court fees in addition to attorney’s fees throughout the discovery, interrogative, and testimonial phases. Depending on the complexity of the situation between you and your spouse, multiple court visit may be needed to resolve the case. By contrast, the mediation process is usually considerably more affordable and takes place in a neutral venue instead of in open court. You can also arrive at a personalized agreement that carefully considers your financial situation, instead of waiting for a judge to make an official determination.
Benefits for Your Children
When it comes to raising children you may have with your spouse, child support, custody, or visitation can be especially contentious issues that lead to inflamed tempers and intense arguments. Of course, you both want to retain as much access to your children as possible and should work towards an agreement that considers your child’s best interests. However, from either side of the divorce, those aspects can look vastly different. As a result, many couples have the potential to enter divorce litigation with opposing views regarding child custody and child support, making for a long and drawn-out court battle.
Fortunately, the state of Illinois requires divorcing parents to attend mediation for all child-related matters, including child support, child custody, and visitation. With the help of a neutral mediator, your respective attorneys can help you compile all the necessary information regarding your financial situation, your parenting concerns, and the environment you can offer your child. Together, you and your spouse can craft a mutually agreeable child custody and visitation plan to be finalized by the court in your final divorce decree. In addition, you can assess your finances and arrive at a child support determination that works for you, instead of simply accepting the state-mandated formula.
Finally, it is important to note the example you are setting for your children by utilizing the mediation process. By completing the process of divorce mediation, you are avoiding unnecessary drama and modeling excellent problem-solving skills for your children. Through mediation, you can come to terms and meet cordially as mature adults to determine the most beneficial solutions to the disputes of your marriage. Your children can model that behavior as they begin to encounter interpersonal conflicts in their own lives.
Choose Bloomington Divorce Mediation for Your Future
Every divorce is unique, and every aspect of your divorce deserves attention that is simply not possible during the traditional litigation process. Where litigation stands to miss vital considerations during the brisk, complex court proceedings, mediation allows you to focus on the components that matter most. Address the most critical disputes in your divorce with confidential mediation in a less stressful environment, tailored to meet your needs. With mediation, you and your spouse will have a way to settle the conflict between you in a way that helps you ensure the best possible outcome for you and your family.
Even with the help of a mediator, divorce will likely be one of the most difficult processes you will ever undertake—but you do not need to do it alone. The skilled Bloomington, IL divorce attorneys at Stange Law Firm have built nearly two decades of experience in family law. We can help you assert your rights and secure the best possible divorce settlement for your needs. Contact our office for more information about divorce mediation or schedule a consultation on our website.
