When you hear the word “divorce,” chances are you probably think of a few things: expensive attorneys, lengthy courtroom battles full of drama and high emotion, and months, or possibly years, of financial and emotional drain as you work to dissolve your marriage.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case. More and more divorcing couples are choosing to end their marriages through divorce mediation and skip the divorce court scene altogether.
According to Split Simple, the Denver divorce mediators, filing for an uncontested divorce and using divorce mediation services has several benefits over traditional courtroom litigation. For one thing, it lets you and your soon-to-be former spouse bypass the lengthy, arduous, and very costly process of finding and retaining divorce attorneys. In an uncontested divorce, there is no need to hire a lawyer, and you will work together with a divorce mediation specialist to divide your assets and reach a settlement that is suitable and beneficial for everyone involved.
No attorneys mean no exorbitant attorney fees and no divorce court hearings mean no court costs. In fact, divorce mediation can cost hundreds or potentially thousands of dollars less than traditional divorce litigation. All of this can leave both of you in better financial shape than you may have been in following a courtroom divorce.
This brings us to the next perk of divorce mediation: much less drama. If you’ve seen your friends or co-workers go through a lengthy courtroom battle, you already know how messy and painful it can get, as well as how long it can drag on. If you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are able to cooperate with one another and work together to devise a mutually beneficial divorce agreement, you can skip the drama of divorce court and go straight to a calm post-divorce life much more quickly.
Of course, some divorcing couples are dealing with extenuating circumstances, such as criminal activity like drug use, domestic violence, or child abuse, which all require courtroom litigation to ensure that the proper penalties, restraining orders, and other forms of legal protection are correctly applied. However, if you and your soon-to-be former spouse have none of these underlying circumstances and are able to reach a peaceful and equitable settlement together, divorce mediation may be the best option for you.
The main purpose of divorce mediation is to have an impartial party oversee the division of your assets as a couple and to assist with any paperwork that must be filed in order for your state and county to legally recognize your divorce. You will be sitting at a table with your mediation specialist and your soon-to-be ex-spouse over a number of sessions as you work to reach a settlement and dissolve your marriage as simply and as quickly as possible.
Keep in mind, however, that filing for an uncontested divorce and opting for divorce mediation doesn’t necessarily mean that you and your spouse are ending your marriage on amicable, friendly terms. Even if you and your soon-to-be ex are at complete odds with one another, that doesn’t mean you have to write off divorce mediation as an option. Numerous couples who choose divorce mediation are not exactly the best of friends, but they realize that the benefits of going through a divorce mediation specialist will pay off for them if they are able to remain calm and cooperate on the settlement rather than fight a lengthy, acrimonious battle in divorce court.
If you and your spouse have decided to end your marriage, divorce mediation may be a good option for you. Saving time, money, and untold numbers of headaches can pay off for you both, leading you to a brighter post-divorce future ahead!
