Why Minnesota Courts Encourage Divorce Mediation
You may be surprised to learn that the Minnesota court system encourages couples who are going through a divorce to try divorce mediation before going through the traditional court system to settle. In fact, nearly all divorce cases can be settled outside of the litigation process. This includes fairly and equitably dividing joint assets, debts, and property, developing a child custody agreement (and/or a parenting agreement) and determining whether or not spousal or child support is necessary in your case. Here are some of the reasons why the court
The stress of the times we are now living through may make us think that our world is no longer capable of innovation or improvement. Our patience has worn thin with bad customer service, and many customer service professionals have lost patience with customers who seem intent on picking a fight with them. Life just seems harder for most of us these days, and that is perhaps even more starkly true for couples who have decided that they have no other choice but to proceed through the divorce process. Fortunately for couples who live in Minnesota, divorce mediation represents a notable exception to the idea that innovation and improvement is a lost art in our country. Johnson Mediation provides divorce mediation services, and some relief, for couples who have decided to divorce.
If you have a parenting agreement, sometimes also known as a child custody agreement, it can be modified if a change is necessary. In fact, it is nearly impossible to predict how your lives will change after divorce, activities and schedules that your kids will have as they get older, and how their needs and preferences will change. When you finalize a divorce, you create a parenting agreement that outlines child custody arrangements that are ideal for that particular time. One year later, 3 years later or 7 years later, your family’s needs may change
Making the decision to get a divorce is a huge life change. This is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make, and it can have a significant impact on the lives of your entire family. For many couples, however, it is the right decision, despite the difficulty. Taking that first step can seem impossible for many different reasons. You may not know what step to take, you may not feel certain it’s the right step, or you may have so many questions that you feel paralyzed. This is all a normal response to such a major life decision. Johnson Mediation can help you take that first step when the time is right, help you define your priorities and goals and then move through the process with less stress.
There is data that suggest that divorce rates increase at certain times of year. Generally, these times are in the early spring (March) and late summer (August). There may be many reasons for this, including those times coming after a period where families spend a lot of extra time together and what is not going well may be highlighted or heightened. However, it is important to remember that no matter when you decide to divorce, the process takes a significant amount of planning. One of the first things to decide is how you want to proceed with the divorce process: mediation or litigation? Johnson Mediation can help you walk through this process and make the decisions that are best for you
Whether or not you used mediation to resolve the terms of your divorce, once that divorce is final, you will almost certainly find that issues come up that still need to be resolved. This is especially true if you share children. Mediation is an ideal option for families who need to settle issues even well after a divorce is final. Some of the most common issues that come up that may need the support of a mediator to resolve include:
The widely held view of divorce in the United States is that it is contentious and adversarial. Our long held notions of divorce include lawyers, courtrooms and fights about everything from money to child custody. These impressions come from TV, from movies, and to an extent from personal experience or knowing friends, co-workers or loved ones that have been through the process. Divorce does not have to be this way. You can navigate the process in a more amicable and cooperative way, without the nasty court battle. Mediation has become a strongly preferred option for settling the terms of a divorce in Minnesota
The divorce process is all consuming and likely is the culmination of many months or years of high conflict and unhappiness. Once you make the decision to divorce, it can be difficult to see past the process, as the divorce process itself can take many months, especially if you go through the courts. Johnson Mediation offers an alternative to this model of a long, drawn-out process. Divorce mediation allows you to see past the divorce process to your future. Focusing on your future and your family, rather than the pain of your past can give you the strength you need to take those final steps through the process.
The Minnesota court system is now encouraging couples to try to settle their divorce using divorce mediation rather than the traditional litigation process. This is a surprise to many who begin the divorce process and assume that the only real option for resolution is through the courts. You may be wondering exactly why the court system is encouraging mediation? Here are some of the reasons:
