What Do Divorce Mediators Do?
Approximately every 36 seconds a divorce occurs. This fact is startling. No one plans for it to happen, but what do you do if you find yourself faced with this situation? Divorce mediation may be an option for you. What do divorce mediators do? These highly trained individuals can help you navigate the potentially treacherous waters and help you make the best decisions with your finances and other matters involved in the marital dissolution.
What Are Divorce Mediators?
In basic terms, a divorce mediator is a neutral third party person who helps people reach an agreement concerning marital finances and other related issues. The spouses still control all the decisions, unlike having to go to court where a judge makes all the final decisions. Mediators are typically not lawyers, although some can be. Mediators are specially trained to handle negotiations and help spouses work through their issues.
If you want more control over how your assets are divided, using a divorce mediator may be the best option. A judge may not rule in your favor. Divorce mediation is often more peaceful and less costly than going to court. You may also be concerned about the impact of the impending divorce on your children or want to speed the process up. If this is the case, then divorce mediation is something you should consider.
How Does Divorce Mediation Work?
You and your spouse will sit down with a mediator. During this meeting, the mediator will ask both of you about what you expect concerning issues such as property division, alimony, child support, and custody. This discussion will help the mediator figure out which areas are going to take the most work. Unlike divorcing in court, there is no time limit on how long mediation can take. You and your spouse can meet as many times as necessary to work out the issues you face.
Another benefit to mediation is that these discussions are private and confidential. There is no public record of them like you would have when going through court proceedings. Once you have decided on everything, the mediator will draw up the divorce papers and submit them to the judge.
How Much Do Divorce Mediators Cost?
The cost of hiring a divorce mediator varies on how much time will be required to resolve all the issues involved. Private mediators can charge by the hour or half-day or full-day rates. These fees can be anywhere from $100 to $300 per hour. A full day of mediation can cost approximately $1,200. Government mediators may be available for those with a tighter budget.
Divorce mediators can help you work through your divorce in a more peaceful and less time-consuming way. There are a number of benefits to using mediation over filing in court. If you and your spouse can agree to work matters out, you can save a lot of time and money. You may be able to move on faster. Then, you both can get on with the rest of your lives without the headaches involved in going to court.