There are many issues that may need to be resolved before a marriage can be dissolved. For instance, it may be necessary to determine how marital assets such as a home, car or retirement account will be divided. If you share children with your spouse, a Wisconsin judge must approve a child support and custody agreement. It’s possible that these issues will be resolved through mediation, but other options exist if this isn’t true in your case.
You may need to give mediation another try
It may not be practical to come to an agreement on all outstanding issues after just one session with a mediator. However, it may also be impractical to rush to arbitration or to a divorce court simply because you need more time to work out the terms of a divorce settlement. Instead, it may be better to hold off on negotiations until you’re in a better mood or to try again with another mediator who may be a better fit.
Hold private talks with your spouse
You of course have the right to negotiate a deal with your spouse without the help of any outside parties. Engaging in private talks may be ideal if you have an amicable relationship with each other because you have an opportunity to say what you feel without broadcasting it to the world. Although mediation sessions are not a matter of public record, you may decide that it’s easier to speak freely when it’s just you and your spouse in a room together.
Take your case to court
Going to court may be ideal if you don’t think that your spouse will make a good faith effort to resolve outstanding divorce issues. However, one potential downfall to asking a judge for help is that you cede control of how a settlement is structured.
Mediation, arbitration and litigation may all be effective tools to obtain a timely divorce settlement. If you have children, mediation may be ideal because it may shield them from learning about why your relationship ended or how a final settlement is structured.