Divorce is a common experience for approximately 39% of couples in the U.S., reports Time, so if you and your spouse have decided to end your marriage, you are not alone. No matter your reason for divorce, the ensuing process can be emotionally difficult and depending on your situation, stressful.
Compared with litigation, the divorce mediation process allows you and your spouse to work through divorce-related issues with the help of an unbiased mediator outside of the court system. This approach can provide many benefits for you, your spouse and any children involved in your marriage.
- Enhanced flexibility
By choosing to mediate your divorce, you maintain open lines of communication with your spouse to develop unique solutions to different issues. This ongoing flexibility promotes a cooperative approach instead of a combative engagement.
- Greater privacy
When you resolve your divorce in court, anyone present has access to the intimate details of the dissolution of your marriage. Comparatively, if you choose mediation, no one but the mediator will ever have to know the details of your divorce and the discussions that went on during every session.
- Reduced stress
The main proponent of divorce mediation is that it promotes civil cooperation between all parties involved. Not only does the mediator help you and your spouse efficiently agree over your divorce’s terms, but he or she will use different strategies to limit tension and remove emotions from the discussions, so both you and your spouse can behave in an amicable manner.
- Improved relationships
If you are a parent, you likely want to protect your children from the often confrontational nature of divorce. By resolving your divorce with the help of a mediator, you and your spouse can effectively work out the details of your new child custody arrangement independently and solidify a plan that works best for your children and their needs.
