If you are getting divorced and don't want to be involved in a drawn-out battle, you may want to consider mediation. Divorce mediation can allow you to peacefully work out issues from your marriage and allow you to move forward peacefully.
1. Talk to Your Lawyer for Legal Advice
Before going into mediation, you are going to want to talk to your lawyer. A mediator cannot provide you with legal advice; they can just help you and your spouse split your life and move forward. Your attorney is the only one who can provide you with legal advice and let you know what your rights are. You will want to consult with your attorney to get a legal perspective on the issues you will be discussing.
2. Hire a Quality Mediator
Next, you are going to want to hire a quality divorce mediator. You will want to hire a mediator who has experience with the exact type of issues that you and your spouse need to work out. You will want to hire a mediator who has a good track record of success and has lots of reviews. You will want to look for someone who is certified as a mediator and who has evidence that they have continued their education.
3. Create a List of Important Topics
When you are getting ready for your mediation session, you will want to set a list of topics that you want to discuss. You are paying for this time, so you want to be sure that you are using it wisely. It would be helpful if you and your spouse both made a list of important topics on your own and then came to an agreement on what you would discuss during the mediation. This will help ensure that you reach a resolution on issues you both value and that your money is well spent.
4. Set Goals
In addition to having a list of topics you want to address, it can be helpful to set goals with your spouse about what you want to achieve during the mediation. Having goals can help you drive your sessions forward and ensure that you use your time wisely.
For example, a topic you may want to discuss is parenting time. Your goal may be to find a schedule that allows for equal parenting time and allows your child to continue participating in all of their activities. Or perhaps an important topic is marital assets, and your goal is to ensure you both get the assets you want and sell the assets that neither of you cares for.
If you want your mediation to be successful, have a list of topics to cover and goals for what you hope to achieve with each topic. Hire an experienced and certified divorce mediator and ask your attorney any legal questions you have about your list of topics before you go into mediation. This will help you walk out of mediation with resolutions to issues.
