Who Should Use Divorce Mediation?

Divorce mediation is not just for people who get along and have everything figured out. It can be used by anyone willing to work with their spouse in good faith and with an interest in creating a settlement that works for both of you.

People Who Should Use Mediation

• People in short marriages where things are simple

  • No need to hire lawyers here. We walk you through the financial and parenting parts of your settlement and in a couple of sessions you are ready to move on.

• People in longer marriages with complicated finances

  • This is where the combination of mediator and financial analyst is a real benefit. There is a lot of number crunching needed to help you figure out what to do with marital home, how to divide assets intelligently, and what type of income support if any is appropriate.

• Later in life marriages

  • With retirement looming, college expenses, and significant assets to work through mediation allows you to avoid a contentious court battle and find common ground in sensible solutions that protect both spouses financial security.

Who Should NOT use mediation

• People who hide money or income, or suspect their spouse may be hiding money or income.

  • Mediation requires people be truthful and transparent with everything financial. The court system is the place to go to get to the bottom of things where there is a “discovery process” in place to gather the financial facts. Forensic accountants and business valuation experts may be brought in to find hidden assets and figure out the value of assets.

• Custody issues

  • If there is a real concern about what is best for a child then the court system is the place to be. There is a set process in place to evaluate both the needs of the child and what parenting arrangement is best.

• Abusive relationships

  • You don’t need to get along to use mediation, but you do need to not be fearful of your spouse. If you need to be protected then you will want to make sure you have the legal system behind you with restraining orders and other protections.