If you and your ex cannot agree on anything and have a history of extreme conflict, you may assume that you have no choice but to litigate your divorce in the courts. After all, how could you possibly agree on how to settle important issues like child custody and division of your shared property if you could not ever agree before. Well, before you hire attorneys and move toward a bitter court battle, consider mediation as a low cost, less stressful alternative. The team at Johnson Mediation can guide you through even an adversarial divorce.
The Role of Your Divorce Mediator
The job of a mediator may not be what you think. Your mediator does not make decisions about your case–in fact, that is your job. Instead, your mediator serves as a neutral third party and is responsible for facilitating a productive discussion between you and your ex about the issues that you have identified as important to your divorce settlement. Your mediator will help you focus your discussions, keeping emotions low and helping you find common ground. Mediation is based on compromise and very often can help couples that have extremely high conflict find a way forward. You will be empowered to find solutions, rather than relinquishing this control to a judge.
Benefits of Mediation over Litigation
The Minnesota courts actually recommend that all couples attempt mediation before proceeding through the court system. This is in part because the court’s schedules are backed up, making it difficult to resolve your case quickly. Mediation can settle all terms of your divorce in as little as just a few months, costing you significantly less than litigation. You should also know that if the mediation process turns out not to be successful for you, you can always move forward with litigation at any time. Another benefit of mediation is that it can be a useful tool even after your divorce is final if you and your ex need to resolve issues related to co-parenting or finances after your divorce is final.
Resolve Conflict With Divorce Mediation
Our team understands how difficult and complicated a divorce can be. Jeff Johnson has been through a divorce himself and brings that personal perspective to his mediation approach. He has extensive experience and success as a local mediator, even with cases where the two parties are not amicable. Jeff can help you see a path forward to your future, and very often, this vision can be helpful so that you can focus on cooperation rather than conflict. For more information about our divorce mediation services, call 952-401-7599.
