You may be lucky not to have any bad blood with your soon-to-be former spouse, and rather, your decision to part ways was a mutual understanding. Under these circumstances, it may feel unnatural to have to battle with them in a courtroom through litigated divorce proceedings. This may have you looking for an arguably calmer environment to settle your divorce case, such as through mediation. In this case, please follow along to find out the possible benefits of a mediated divorce and how a proficient Morristown uncontested divorce lawyer at Graves Andrews, LLC can help you execute this alternative divorce method fully.
What are the commonly referenced benefits of a mediated divorce?
In summary, a mediated divorce is a type of alternative dispute resolution method in which you and your soon-to-be former spouse may negotiate your divorce-related terms (i.e., alimony, child custody, child support, and property division) independently without court intervention. There may only be a third-party mediator present during these discussions, but they may remain neutral and simply facilitate this process that likely neither of you has gone through before. A deep dive into the claimed benefits of a mediated divorce is as follows:
- You and your spouse may maintain control over the divorce-related terms that will affect your new life.
- You and your spouse may communicate in a safe space, which may be good practice for maintaining a good relationship post-divorce.
- You and your spouse may save money by avoiding hefty attorney and court fees, which may set you up better for financial independence.
- You and your spouse may wrap up your divorce in a few sessions, or take as many breaks as you want to fit your work and personal schedules.
When is it deemed more beneficial to pursue another divorce method?
The aforementioned benefits of a mediated divorce may only apply across the board, so to speak. That is, for you and your soon-to-be former spouse, these negotiations may come to a head if you cannot agree on and are unwilling to compromise on a certain divorce-related term. Also, it is not advisable to opt for this process, which largely has you interacting with your spouse if they have a history of domestic violence or emotional abuse, in which they may manipulate you into agreeing to terms that you do not want.
If this is simply a negotiation issue, you may still not have to enter the courtroom. That is, another alternative dispute resolution method is divorce arbitration. Here, instead of you and your spouse settling, an arbitrator may consider the details of your divorce case and reach a verdict on your outstanding issue(s). However, if the arbitrator believes your issue is too complex, and if they believe things like a history of domestic violence may affect your divorce outcomes, they may refer you to seek the proper legal guidance and resolution from a New Jersey family court.
Before you find yourself in an even worse position, you must retain legal representation from Graves Andrews, LLC. A talented Morristown family law attorney from our law firm will guide you on what to do.