Meet Julie, her husband Michael and their daughter, Maggie. Julie and Michael have decided to get a divorce. But after witnessing the uncertainty, stress and conflict that is often part of the traditional divorce process, they have decided that, while divorce may be inevitable, they do have a choice about how they divorce.
They want to avoid court, control the cost and the overall manner of their divorce and most importantly protect their daughter from the negative impact of seeing mom and dad fighting like cats and dogs.
That’s why Julie and Michael are considering divorce mediation. Mediation is an alternative to traditional divorce that helps couples resolve their issues without going to court.
In mediation, a neutral third party meets with both spouses to
1. Help identify issues that need to be resolved
2. Gather and share the information needed to make decisions and
3. Facilitate communication and problem solve about how to resolve their matrimonial issues
Once an agreement is reached, the mediator prepares a Memorandum of Understanding (which is a non-binding summary of the areas upon which the parties have reached an agreement). It is recommended but not required that the spouses bring the Memorandum to their attorneys to have their Memorandum reviewed. Once the Memorandum is agreed upon, the Memorandum of Understanding is signed by both spouses and becomes a binding contract between them and eventually will become part of the Judgment of Divorce.
Divorce Mediation
1. Is faster than traditional divorce and less costly
2. Gives the couple control over the manner and timetable in which an agreement is reached
3. Allows the couple to focus on the issues while avoiding allegations and fault finding and,
4. Protects children by minimizing their exposure to conflict and makes protecting their interests a priority
If you are facing divorce, you owe it to yourself and to your children to consider all of your divorce options. Mediation is just one the no court alternatives to traditional divorce. Contact divorce attorney Linda Piff today and schedule a consultation to find out which option is best for you.
