Divorce involves important decisions about children, finances, property, and the future of your family. Pre-decree divorce mediation gives you and your spouse a structured way to work through those decisions together before your divorce is finalized.

CEL & Associates provides neutral pre-decree divorce mediation for couples in Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, northwest Illinois, Southeastern Wisconsin, and other communities throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. Mediation may begin before either spouse files for divorce or while a divorce case is pending, provided a final judgment has not been entered.

“Pre-decree” simply means that the divorce has not yet been finalized by the court.

During mediation, both spouses meet with a neutral mediator who helps identify the decisions that need to be made, guides the conversation, and keeps discussions focused on practical resolution.

The mediator does not represent either spouse, provide individual legal advice, decide who is right, or impose an outcome. Each spouse retains control over whether an agreement is reached and what that agreement includes.

When agreements are reached, CEL & Associates prepares a Memorandum of Understanding documenting the couple’s decisions. The memorandum is not a final marital settlement agreement or court-approved divorce judgment.

Attorneys do not participate in CEL’s mediation sessions. However, each spouse may consult an independent attorney outside mediation and have the memorandum reviewed before the appropriate legal documents are prepared and submitted to the court.

This process preserves the mediator’s neutrality while allowing each spouse to receive independent legal guidance before finalizing the divorce.

Learn more about when pre-decree divorce mediation can begin, how the process works, and what happens after agreements are reached. These answers also explain the mediator’s role and the purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding.