Divorce mediation was once a very unusual solution only employed by a tiny fraction of couples. However, mediation has become an increasingly popular solution for those navigating a Texas divorce.
Mediation requires that you bring in a neutral third party with professional training to facilitate your negotiations. What benefits make the stress and expense of mediation worth the investment for many couples?
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More control over the process
Divorce leaves people feeling vulnerable and disempowered because they don’t have control over what happens in court. A judge can set custody terms or property division Arrangements that don’t work well for either spouse. They can also misinterpret the situation when they don’t have all of the details about your family history.
Divorce mediation gives you and your spouse full control over the outcome. It is only when the two of you agree on all of the terms that you have a binding document that will determine the outcome of your divorce proceedings.
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More privacy
Especially for those with young children, high-profile jobs or higher household incomes, publicly disclosing household financial information or complaints about marital misconduct can be a major issue.
If there are certain factors that should influence the decisions made in your divorce but you would prefer them not to become part of the public record because you talk about them in open court, then mediation could be a good solution. What you say in mediation remains confidential, as only the agreement ends up submitted to the courts.
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Lower overall costs
While it may seem contradictory to claim that divorce mediation can keep costs low, that is true for couples who successfully reach an agreement. Mediation does add new expenses to your divorce because you must hire a professional and pay for hours of representation from both of your lawyers during the sessions.
However, what you settle in mediation will save you from litigating in court. The more couples litigate, the more the overall cost of the divorce tends to increase. Many people choose mediation because it could be a cost-effective and private solution to divorce that leaves them in control of the terms that matter the most.
Educating yourself about alternative dispute resolution, like divorce mediation, can help those contemplating divorce in Texas.
