Attorney Katherine Kraus

Best Attorney
in Peoria!!!

Best Attorney
in Peoria!!!

3 reasons to consider mediation

On Behalf of | Jul 31, 2017 | Blog

Nowadays, couples divorce for many different reasons, and your divorce is not necessarily an indication that you and your soon-to-be-ex can longer work together effectively. In some situations, love simply fades over time. In others, divorcing parents may be able to put their differences aside to do what is in the best interests of their shared children.

If your situation with your partner is not especially acrimonious, you may want to consider undergoing divorce mediation as an alternative to a traditional courtroom divorce. Typically, the process involves you and your partner sitting down with an impartial third party known as a mediator who can help you work through your issues and navigate matters of asset division, child custody and so on. Many divorcing couples find that mediation offers many benefits:

1. More affordable than traditional divorce

If your divorce goes to court, both you and your spouse will have legal fees in addition to court costs. In mediation, however, you work with only one professional. The American Bar Association reports that mediation can save couples between 40 and 60 percent of the cost of a traditional divorce.

2. Good for the kids

Because tensions often run high when couples divorce, children sometimes feel trickle-down effects. By undergoing mediation, you and your partner are presenting a united front for your children and demonstrating that you can and will continue to work together effectively. Furthermore, if you and your spouse take part in mediation, you are more likely to wind up with a joint custody agreement than you would be in a standard divorce.

3. Less stressful

Odds are, you have lots to consider ahead of your divorce, and making decisions such as where you will live and how you will earn a living absent your partner can prove tremendously stressful. A courtroom divorce can exacerbate existing stresses, whereas mediation can help make things quieter on the home front during what is otherwise an already difficult time.  

Mediation can be a great option in appropriate situations, but it is not a perfect fit for all couples. If, however, you feel you can still work alongside your partner for the betterment of your family unit, it may make sense for you.

FindLaw Network