Thinking About Divorce? Here’s What you Need To Know
If you are considering seeking a divorce from your spouse, it is important to think hard about the long term implications and decide if this is the best course of action for you and your family. Whether you have been thinking about this possibility for some time or something has happened that has caused you to consider it more acutely, thinking ahead and planning can help you navigate the process with less financial and emotional stress. Here are 5 things you need to know if you are seriously considering divorce in the next 6-12 months:
The pandemic changed so many aspects of our daily life. Even now that hospitalizations and deaths are down and we have moved forward, many things that were implemented during that time period have stayed with us. For example, many of us still work primarily from home and many of us still do curbside pickup for our groceries. During the pandemic, our mediation firm moved all of our cases online, rather than conducting in person sessions in order to minimize the spread of the virus. Now that we are (for the most part) on the other side, we are in a position to take any of the positive changes
Many people assume that divorce mediation can only work if your relationship is amicable. This is a myth about resolving the terms of a divorce. Litigation can actually raise the temperature of a divorce – and make it even more adversarial rather than less. Litigation takes many months longer than mediation and that time generally only fuels more emotion, pain and frustration. So, whether your divorce is adversarial or amicable, mediation can work for your situation. Even if your divorce is adversarial or complex, here are some of the reasons to consider mediation to settle the terms of your 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
A divorce agreement is the written document that outlines the decisions (or agreements) that you make with your ex about the outstanding issues in your divorce. Very often, a divorce agreement covers the division of all of your joint property (including assets and debt), an outline of your parenting plan and/or custody agreement and spousal or child support (if necessary). Johnson Mediation can help you through the process of developing your divorce agreement through the mediation process, rather than having to go through the litigation
The team at Johnson Mediation is probably best known for helping Minnesota couples navigate the divorce process. Divorce mediation makes up a large part of what we do each and every day. However, what people might not realize is that we can provide all types of support for local couples, whether they are considering divorce or not. The resources, support and strategies that our staff can offer can benefit couples no matter whether you are moving forward with divorce, were divorced many years ago, or just a bit unsure of your future together. We provide these services online.
It is estimated that between 70-85% of cases that go through mediation are settled. When you stop and think for a second, that is pretty remarkable, in large part because each and every one of those cases are trying to settle a dispute. The two parties often do not agree about how the dispute should be settled, so they need professional assistance to sort this out. When it comes to divorce, the disagreements between the two parties are compounded by the emotion, sadness and pain of realizing that your marriage is over. Mediation is considered so effective that the Minnesota court system is now recommending that all divorce cases go through mediation before going through the courts. If you are coming to terms with the idea of a divorce
When you and your family are going through a divorce, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure how to proceed. Even small steps forward may seem like giant leaps, and you and your ex may disagree about just about everything. Johnson Mediation has developed a comprehensive approach to the divorce mediation process so that we can meet the needs of our clients. Divorce is a complex process with many different – very important – steps. It is a pivotal time in the life of your family and the mediation process can actually help determine how successful you are at co-parenting and communicating once the divorce process is complete.
Over the last several years, the courts in Minnesota have started to require that couples attempt an alternative dispute resolution service like divorce mediation before moving forward with litigation. You may wonder why the courts are trying to push couples away from the traditional court system. Here are some of the reasons:
