Divorce Mediation May Be a Better Solution for Your Long Island Divorce
Divorce Mediation is a Less Costly, Less Stressful Method of Divorce
As you likely know, the typical way to handle a divorce is for both you and your partner to hire your own independent divorce attorneys and utilize the Nassau County or Suffolk County court system. As you are also likely aware, handling a divorce this way can become a grueling, emotionally draining experience. The divorce can weigh even more on your emotions if the two of you have children, or even beloved pets, together. Did you know it doesn’t have to be this way? If you find yourself in such a situation, divorce mediation may be of interest to you as an inexpensive, less stressful, lest time-consuming, yet no less thorough and legally binding alternative method of achieving your divorce.
Take Control; Don’t Let the Courts Decide Your Fate
If you find yourself facing an impending divorce, do not hesitate to inquire about divorce mediation before settling on Litigating through the Nassau or Suffolk County court systems. Divorce mediation allows you and your soon to be ex-spouse to control the divorce process. You will be free to discuss the divorce on your own accord without the fear of the court imposing what it thinks is best for you and your family.
In divorce mediation, your mediator will be a neutral third party who will monitor and guide the process, not impose his or her will on your divorce. Divorce mediators do not make decisions for you like a court judge may do, but will follow your lead in how you want your divorce to be settled. Generally, the mediator will meet with both you and your partner together to determine both of your wants and needs. In some cases, or at certain times in the process, the mediator may also meet with your and your soon to be ex-partner individually.
Your Wants & Needs Will Be Heard by Divorce Mediator
Because divorce mediation requires you and your partner to vocalize your wants and needs, you need to make sure that you are both comfortable discussing the divorce. While divorce mediation is by no means a form of therapy, it does require that you and your partner express your desires aloud to each other and the mediator. There may be times during the negotiation process where you and your partner do not agree, but you both must be willing to compromise with and understand each other. In many cases, these issues include matters such as child custody, the value of your home, or who gets the living room furniture. While you should enter divorce mediation with a set of goals in mind, it is important to be aware that you have to be open-minded.
Divorce Mediators Neutralize Power Imbalances
Your divorce mediator will be there to assist in settling power imbalances if it seems that either you or your partner are controlling the discussions. This is a completely different setting than if you were to each hire divorce attorneys and take the traditional court system route, where you would express your wants in private to the divorce attorney who would then fight for what he or she felt would best achieve those goals. If you and your soon to be ex-spouse are not willing to negotiate on issues of disagreement to find a happy medium divorce mediation may not be the best solution for you.
Divorce Mediation Results in Legally Binding Divorce Agreement
Again, the court system has little to no involvement in the process of divorce mediation. Therefore, you may be wondering what happens if you and your partner decide upon divorce mediation, negotiate and sign an agreement, but then your partner fails to follow through on his or her promises. In order for you and your partner to be legally divorced, a judgment of divorce must be entered into the court system. So while the courts play no role in the actual negotiation of the agreement during divorce mediation, you will still file the judgment of divorce within the court. Attached to that judgment would be your mediation agreement which will be on file with the court system. If you find that your ex-spouse has failed to uphold his or her portion of the divorce mediation agreement, the court has the power to enforce it, just the same as it has the power to enforce a traditional divorce agreement reached through the court system itself.
Call 631-923-1910 for a Free Long Island Divorce Mediation Consultation
To learn more about Divorce Mediation on Long Island and how it can save you time, money and stress, visit this page: How Divorce Mediation Works and its Benefits for Families in Nassau, Suffolk, Long Island. If you would like to learn more about Divorce Mediation on Long Island, call the divorce law firm of Hornberger Verbitsky, P.C. at 631-923-1910 or fill out the short form on this page for a complimentary divorce mediation consultation. The compassionate divorce lawyers at the firm are skilled at all methods of divorce resolution, including litigation, mediation and collaborative divorce.
