In the past, divorce was viewed as a last resort. It was also seen as a battle between spouses where there had to be a winner and a loser. The reality is that there are no winners in a highly-contested divorce.
For these reasons, family mediation has become much more popular. Mediation is a less formal and more flexible approach to family law issues. Why choose mediation over litigation?
Bringing costs down
The average litigated divorce can cost spouses tens of thousands of dollars at least. Legal fees, court applications, expert witnesses and private investigators can all cost a significant amount of money. Mediation attempts to open up constructive discussions so that arguments and courtroom appearances are kept to a minimum.
Higher efficiency
A litigated divorce can go on for months and even stretch into years. This can be hard to cope with, as each spouse typically wants to move on to the next chapter of their life as soon as possible. With mediation, each spouse has a bit more control over the schedule. While the process should not be rushed, spouses often find that by attending sessions at their own pace, they get a lot more done in each session. Sometimes, crucial components of family law disputes can be settled in just one or two mediation sessions rather than several months’ worth of court hearings.
Mediation is a viable option for couples who desire a more peaceful divorce or resolutions to other family law issues. To find out if mediation may be the right choice for you, it will be beneficial to seek further legal guidance.