Pros and Cons of Divorce Mediation
If you and your partner have made the very difficult decision to divorce, you may be considering your options for settling all of the important aspects of your separation. Dividing up your shared property and assets (and debts), developing a parenting plan if you share children, and determining whether child and/or spousal support is applicable are key issues to sort out during the divorce process. There are two possible paths to follow – litigation or mediation. Mediation has become a very popular and highly effective tool to settle many divorces around the country.
Unmarried couples who share children can make their own agreements for important issues such as child support, child custody and visitation. Whether you are married or not, when children are involved, it is critically important to make sure that plans are in place that put your kids’ well-being first. Communication during a separation is very often strained, so investing in mediation sessions may be a productive way to handle many issues related to your split – including how to handle child support agreements. Johnson Mediation focuses on helping families through these difficult transitions by facilitating positive and productive communication that result in workable solutions for all involved.
Because you may not have ever expected to be in the midst of a divorce, you may never have given much thought to the various options for settling a divorce. We are all aware of the statistic that approximately 50% of marriages end in divorce, but when we said our vows and pondered a future, divorce was simply not in the picture. So, if you have found yourself in a situation in which divorce looks like your reality, you might need some help and support to navigate the process.
Most divorcing couples assume that disputes over divorces must be decided in Court by a Judge, but family disputes are ideally settled between family members before they reach a courtroom. Mediation settlements are better than going to court for many reasons. Mediation settlements are likely to be more satisfactory in the long run because the solution is mutually-agreeable, and has been proven to be more satisfactory in past surveys in the United States. The mediator can model and facilitate better communication that may continue after mediation, the lines of communication are extremely important and need to continue to be open if you have children together. Attorneys often can be very helpful in settling disputes out of court. But when they are in court the decision process is out of the best interest of the couple and is ultimately decided by a judge after sometimes a lethal fight. When children are involved with divorce and separation, the stakes are even higher. Mediation allows control to remain in the hands of the parents, not the Court.
The divorce process can cause a serious financial and emotional strain on both you and your divorcing spouse. The financial cost for a divorce that is settled in the court system can be upwards of $15,000-$20,000 in the state of Minnesota. A significant portion of this cost is spent on attorneys and legal fees. You can actually settle your divorce for less. Divorce mediation offers a much less expensive way to settle the terms of your divorce. Using a mediator generally costs a fraction of the cost and can also be less of an emotional strain on your family. Johnson Mediation offers 
Divorce is, in a nutshell, complicated and harrowing. But it doesn’t have to be. Divorce can be as simple and peaceful as you make it as long as you take advantage of the right resources. When you’re going through a divorce, consider the benefits of divorce mediation. It’s less combative than courtroom divorces, and it allows for discussion over arguments. At Johnson Mediation, we’ve made it our business to make sure divorcing couples are able to move forward in the healthiest way possible for everyone involved. Our Carver Country divorce mediators in Chanhassen, MN can help make your divorce quick, affordable, and much less stressful by helping you create a divorce agreement through mediation.
