If you and your spouse are looking for a less adversarial way to finalize your divorce, then using a divorce mediator might be the right path for you and your spouse. In essence, a divorce mediator is a neutral 3rd party who is trained to help you and your spouse through the divorce process without having to enter the court process and have a judge decide on the final outcome. The goal is to keep you out of court in a peaceful setting to resolve all issues and help you both move on with your lives.
When engaging a divorce mediator for help, this is often the first gesture of mutual trust. Ultimately the mediator you choose does not have the power to decide on the final outocme of your case, but the divorce mediator will have a profound effect on resolving the issues that need to be worked out and helping to finalize the final settlement.
The duties of a trained divorce mediator include:
The mediators top priority is to maintain order and establish proper procedural rules. A well-trained divorce mediator will control the meetings so that everyone has tim eto speak and respond. The mediator may also guide couples through the steps of the divorce and keep you both aware of the next steps.
By using general knowledge of the process and experience from previous case-studies, a mediator may give you a prediction as to how the court will view the situation and provide an informed opinion on the potential outcome of the divorce should you go to court.
A mediator should be an active listener. By listening closely to what you both are saying, if something needs clarificaiton or elaboration, a divorce mediation will ask additional questions so that both sides understand what is being discussed fully. This is encouraged through proper communication and accountability.
There is much more that a divorce mediator can provide, but ultimately it comes down to minimizing conflict and getting to the root of the issues to be resolved so that you both can move on with your lives without having to go to court!
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