27
Mar

So you’re getting a divorce. 

As you are planning your exit strategy, the first thing your friends and family will tell you to do is to get a lawyer.  Of course, they tell you that because they care for you and want to protect you, but is that necessarily the best course of action?

If you have never heard of divorce mediation, it is a process in which a neutral third party helps spouses discuss and resolve the various issues in their case with the goal of avoiding court altogether.  The mediation process is entirely private and confidential, and California laws protect the communications made in mediation (including almost all the documents produced during the process).  In other words, things said, and notes exchanged during this process are privileged communications under California law.

Divorce mediation is not for everyone.  

Husbands and wives who are kicking and screaming on the way to mediation are not good candidates for this process. Divorce mediation requires cooperation, reasonableness and the motivation to complete the divorce process.  Those who are not emotionally divorced,  who want to punish the other spouse, or those who cannot fathom not getting their way may use mediation only to manipulate or delay the divorce process.

Mediation Can Help You During and After the Divorce.

Not only will mediation help your family figure out the best ways to divide your household and set up custody and visitation with the children, if done correctly, it will also show you that your soon-to-be-ex can be your ally and not your enemy. During the divorce process, mediation helps you save on attorney’s fees, avoid long delays in court, and ease the transition for your children. What people do not know is that your familial relationships and money issues do not simply end when your marriage terminates. After the divorce, parties can use mediation for visitation, property or support disputes. Former spouses often have to go back to court to modify support or custody orders, or try to enforce property division orders.  Former spouses that used mediation to find resolutions in their divorce with satisfactory results are more likely to peruse mediation for post-divorce issues.  In both scenarios, the parties end up saving money and time and can protect their children from the conflicts associated with divorces.

If you are interested in finding out more about mediation, please contact our office at (310) 212-7109 or info@regallawoffice.com for a free telephonic consultation.

****The opinion above is not intended to be legal advice and does not create any attorney-client relationship between its author and readers. Please consult an attorney for information or advice specific to your legal issue.****