If your marriage is headed for divorce, this can be a trying time. The challenges of living life alone and the abrupt changes in your financial status may create a great deal of stress for you. It's ideal to choose the fastest way to come to an agreement as the marriage is ending, rather than going through a heated court battle. One way to accomplish this goal is by mediating your divorce case. Knowing the many benefits that a divorce mediation can offer you may motivate you to select this process.

What is a Mediated Divorce?

This is when you and your spouse will meet with both of your attorneys and a mediator to work toward negotiating an agreement that is typically required before you can go your separate ways.

Benefit #1: Make key decisions

There are many things that must be discussed and decided upon during a divorce and working together to make these decisions is ideal.

Listed below are things you can negotiate:

1.  Property – This may include the family home or land that both of you jointly own and how it can be divided equally.

2.  Vehicles –If you own more than one car and these are in both of your names, you may need to work together to determine who will get each one.

3.  Cash and accounts – Do you have a joint checking or savings account? What about cash that is lying around the house? You can decide at mediation how this may be divided.

4.  Debt – Paying back creditors that you jointly owe should be discussed while attending this meeting.

Benefit #2: Avoid making it public

If you go through the court to get a divorce, this will be on the public record for your entire community to see. When a court date is scheduled for our case, it may be listed online and even in the newspaper.

By attending mediation, you can keep your personal matters private.

Benefit #3: Reduced attorney fees

Did you know the average cost of a contested divorce in the United States is $20,000? The legal fees can add up quickly if you and your spouse don't work together to dissolve the marriage amicably.

Additionally, if there is a jury trial, these costs can dramatically increase.

Finally, it's ideal to work together with your spouse even when it comes to getting a divorce. Be sure to consult with a family law attorney, like Caplin Susan M, to help you with the mediation process.