Strategies For Equitable Division Of Property During Divorce
When you get married, you share your life and that includes many shared possessions. You may come into the marriage with a few things, but between wedding gifts and things that you accumulate together over time, you build quite a collection of furniture, appliances, jewelry, exercise equipment, photos, and more. But, in addition, if you own your home, a vehicle or other property, this must also be split if you decide to divorce. You must also split assets that you share (think retirement, savings, investments, etc.). This can be an overwhelming process even in the best of circumstances. Fairly dividing your assets
Fortunately, divorce is not something that you generally go through very often in your life. A divorce is never exactly expected or planned for so when you decide you are ready to move forward, you likely have a lot of questions about the process. Most individuals assume that the only way to settle a divorce is to go through the court system. However, divorce mediation has become a very viable option for settling all terms of a divorce, without having to set foot in a courtroom. If you are not familiar with how divorce mediation works, here are five important facts that can provide some information to help you decide
Over the last several years, more and more couples have looked for alternative ways to settle the terms of a divorce. Litigation has been the default process for many years, forcing couples to hire individual lawyers to represent them in court and spending a lot of time and money in the process. The most popular and effective alternative to litigation is divorce mediation, which allows couples to work with a neutral mediator to settle the terms of a divorce including division of property, child custody and spousal/child support. Rather than leave these major decisions in the hands of a judge, who can only learn so much
You may already know that the Minnesota court system recommends that all couples try mediation to resolve the terms of a divorce before attempting litigation. You may wonder why that is the recommendation. Mediation is less expensive and takes less time than litigation and that is certainly part of the reason. What you might not be aware of is just how successful mediation is. Mediation can be more than 85% effective in divorce cases, even when child custody is a factor. Both parties are often more satisfied with the outcome and the results are more long lasting. That is a very high success rate, especially given that many couples enter the divorce process with…
In addition to providing our support and guidance to divorcing couples regarding Minnesota’s divorce laws, Johnson Mediation has earned a reputation for being a divorce mediation provider that also prioritizes the well-being of its clients. We care about the people we serve, and we do our best to help them understand the possibilities that can grow out of the divorce process. Above all else, we serve our clients with honesty and respect. This approach gives the individuals we work with a more accurate understanding of the divorce process and what life will feel like after divorce. Prioritizing honesty and combining it with our knowledge of the laws governing divorce in Minnesota, allows a divorcing couple to move on to the next chapter in their lives and minimize the surprises that can be painfully disruptive and jolting.
To be good at divorce mediation requires the development of many different kinds of skills. Good divorce mediators must have natural empathy, knowledge of divorce law (specifically Minnesota divorce law), excellent communication skills, even better listening skills, and the capacity to solve problems. In addition, good divorce mediators empower their clients to move on to the next chapters of their lives.
