• By Peaceful Mediation
• In News

11 Benefits of Divorce Mediation: Avoid The Courtroom

Reasons to Choose Mediation for Your Divorce

Litigated divorce cases can be financially and mentally taxing. The litigious method of divorce can be a long, drawn out process and can devolve into contentious behaviors from both willing parties. Divorce mediation benefits couples by easing the stress of separating and has many other advantages compared to a traditional divorce.

In this article, the Philadelphia divorce mediators at Peaceful Separation and Divorce explain the benefits of divorce mediation over litigating the issues arising from divorce, including:

1. More Control
2. Less Expensive
3. Saves Time
4. Maintain Privacy
5. Maintain External Relationships
6. Helps You Focus on Your Children
7. Better Rates of Compliance
8. More Fair
9. Personalized Solutions
10. Flexibility
11. Prevent Future Litigation

If you are considering divorce mediation to resolve your issues, call Peaceful Separation and Divorce. We have helped families in the Philadelphia area take charge and resolve issues arising from their divorce, and we can help you too.

1. More Control

One of the most important benefits of divorce mediation is it is a collaborative divorce process compared to litigation; you and your spouse control the outcome. From the scheduling of sessions and choosing topics to be discussed to the finding of solutions or resolving the issues arising from your divorce, you and your spouse are in control throughout the divorce mediation process.

In contrast, a litigated divorce is contentious, puts you at the mercy of the backlog of the court docket, and has a judge impose solutions upon your family.

2. Less Expensive

Typically, divorce mediation saves money compared to litigation. Since a couple shares the expense of divorce mediation, this is much less expensive than retaining and paying two lawyers in a contested divorce in family law court.

The cost of divorce mediation in Pennsylvania can be anywhere between $3,000 and $8,000 depending on the complexity of your case. Since this cost is shared, each spouse pays between $1,500 and $4,000.

In contrast, the typical cost for a litigated divorce can reach upwards of $20,000.00 or more. As such, the divorce costs for mediation are generally lower than in a litigated divorce.

3. Saves Time

Mediated divorces are faster than litigated divorces and often resolve in a matter of weeks or months, usually over the course of 2-5 mediation sessions. Of course, how long your divorce mediation takes depends on the complexity of your case, but even then, mediation often takes much less time than a contested divorce. Litigation for divorce can take months or likely up to a year or more to resolve.

4. Maintain Privacy

Litigated divorce court filings are a matter of public record. However, mediated divorce proceedings are entirely confidential. This means you and your family can maintain a greater level of privacy concerning the issues arising from your divorce.

5. Maintain External Relationships

One of the key benefits when you attend mediation is it allows both you and your former spouse to maintain control over the process and make your own decisions. This is especially important when external relationships are at stake, such as those with children, extended family, businesses, or close friendships. Working together to find solutions which are fair for you and your spouse can help preserve these relationships and avoid damaging them through litigation.

6. Helps You Focus on Your Children

Divorce mediation allows couples to discuss issues and compromise, making them better prepared to co-parent and help their children adjust following their divorce. This lessens the negative impact of your divorce on your children, helping them ease their own stress.

Litigated divorce often promotes bad feelings and division in children. Children often feel they need to “choose a side” during a divorce as their parents contend and fight against each other rather than cooperate and peacefully resolve their issues.

7. Better Rates of Compliance

Couples own the solutions they reach through successful mediation, and those solutions are often more creative and unique than any solution an outside party could mandate. This results in greater compliance with mediated agreements to settle disputes over solutions imposed upon couples by a judge.

8. More Fair

Divorcing couples feel heard and validated through mediation, even if they must compromise to reach a divorce agreement that works for their whole family. Invariably divorcing couples feel the process and the outcome is more fair from mediation than if they litigated and had solutions imposed upon them by a judge.

9. Personalized Solutions

With the help of a neutral divorce mediator, a couple has the opportunity to craft a mutually agreeable solution to every issue arising from their divorce unique to their situation and needs. There are no limits or restrictions; a divorce mediator helps couples find or create agreements that work best for them.

10. Flexibility

An agreement reached through successful mediation can be wholly unique to that couple. Whatever their needs, a neutral mediator helps them find or create solutions to the issues arising from their divorce they can live with. This means a mediated divorce is much more flexible in the solutions available to a couple unlike litigation, which is often regimented and often to the detriment of at least one party.

11. Prevent Future Litigation

Another advantage of divorce mediation is it can help avoid future legal battles because when a judge makes decisions about the terms of the divorce, one party may feel they did not receive a fair outcome. This can lead to a prolonged appeals process and future legal action.

Mediation can help prevent future litigation because it allows divorcing spouses to have a say in the decision-making process and also allows both spouses to reach mutually beneficial agreements.

Talk with an Experienced Divorce Mediator

If divorce mediation appeals to you, call the divorce mediators at Peaceful Separation and Divorce today and take the first step towards taking charge of your divorce.