No one looks forward to a messy divorce. It’s difficult enough reaching the decision to get a divorce in the first place and coping with the end of your marriage. A litigious divorce can add insult to injury, or rather, injury on top of injury. Divorce Mediation, however, can be a tool to help you and your ex-spouse reach agreement on the various aspects of the divorce, without the need to go to court. Here’s how you may be able to benefit from Long Island divorce mediation.
First and foremost, divorce mediation is far less expensive than a litigated divorce on Long Island. Although it may not be the best option for all cases – for example, a high net worth divorce or a divorce where you and your spouse can’t agree on anything — it can be a great way to reduce traditional divorce expenses. If you and your ex-spouse are in agreement on many of the aspects of your divorce, or are able to reach compromises quickly during mediation, this method of divorce can save you thousands of dollars.
Divorces are hard on everyone involved, especially children. Very young children may not fully understand what is happening in their family, while older children may know exactly what is going on and be unsure of how to deal with it emotionally. When divorce becomes contentious, the emotional aspect intensifies and everyone experiences the stress. Children can get pulled into custody arguments and feel like they have to choose between their parents and in some cases, one, or both parents will facilitate this unhealthy outlook.
Divorce mediation, on the other hand, helps to foster healthy emotions about the divorce process. It seeks to emphasize collaboration and working together, helping parents to reach a consensus about what impact their divorce will have on the family and how their family will look in the future. This eliminates much of the emotional fallout of a traditional divorce and fosters healthy co-parenting in families that have children. For couples without children, it can help each spouse obtain closure without conflict.
Divorce litigation on Long Island tends to take many months and in some cases, the process can drag out over a year or more. Mediation tends to be much shorter, which is part of why it costs less than a contested divorce and often doesn’t have as much of an emotional impact. Agreements about child custody, property division, and alimony can be reached sooner in mediation than through traditional divorce, so the entire process can be completed surprisingly quickly.
During divorce mediation sessions, each party contributes to the resolution. Instead of having a judge decide for you what your custody and property division arrangements will be, you and your ex-spouse can negotiate between yourselves what your desires are and make compromises that you’re willing to accept. This gives you greater control over the outcome instead of being forced to accept a judgment that was made by someone with little to no knowledge of you and your family.
If you decide to give divorce mediation a try and you come to the conclusion that there are some matters that you and your ex-spouse are unwilling to compromise on, you can withdraw from mediation and pursue litigation as the next step. While we recommend that you give it a good fair try before throwing in the towel on mediation, it’s much harder, if not impossible, to go the other way and step down from litigation to pursue mediation.
At the Long Island Divorce and Family law firm of Robert E. Hornberger Esq., P.C., we understand how challenging divorce can be and we’re committed to making it as easy as possible for you. We can work with you to protect your parental rights and your and your family’s best interests during mediation, and if necessary, we can represent you should your divorce become litigious. We are committed to providing our clients with sound legal advocacy and helping them navigate this difficult time. Contact us today for an appointment for a free consultation to discuss your family’s needs and how we can assist you. Call now at 631-923-1910.
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