Divorce Mediation Tips
Top Divorce Mediation Tips from Elizabeth Hill of The Hill Law Firm’, P.C. Choosing Divorce Mediation is an excellent choice for many couples who are ready to maintain privacy, confidentiality and avoid the higher legal fees that come with a traditional divorce.
Before starting divorce mediation, you should know that a mediator is a neutral party during your mediation sessions and cannot advise you of your legal rights or responsibilities. If you would also like an attorney to support you during mediation, you can retain outside counsel to participate in the mediation sessions or to consult with along the way.
Knowing how you will approach the meeting and having a good grasp of your current state before the meeting starts will help keep things moving. This includes all pertinent bank statements, financial statements, life insurance policies, and any other assets you have. Being ready to disclose your understand of the marital estate and opinion property values will help you and your spouse more easily reach an agreement. Transparency and full disclosure help ensure your agreement will not be overturned for omission of information.
I suggest and encourage clients is to have goals in mind, but also be open to hearing the interests of your spouse. Everyone approaches divorce with a specific goal, but discussing possibilities with a mediator may reveal a different solution than you thought of on your own. During divorce mediation, we will conduct meetings in a kind and professional manner. Harsh words and name-calling do not have a place in the mediation process.
You can simply share what is important to you with respect and kindness instead of just demanding it. As your mediator, I will assist in guiding the mediation conversation towards a desired outcome for you and your spouse.
Keeping your ears open by listening, will help you and your spouse be more open-minded to creative solutions for your divorce settlement.
Lastly, don’t forget to pace yourself! Do not be tempted to rush through the process to save money or get on with other things in life. The divorce mediation can be stressful and draining. It is okay to ask to take a break to take a few moments to decompress or to schedule shorter, more frequent sessions, to provide the opportunity to reflect upon the different options on the table between sessions. This is not a race to the finish line.
To schedule a consultation or obtain more information about your divorce options in the Overland Park and Johnson County, KS area, such as divorce mediation, collaborative mediation, or collaborative divorce, you may contact the Hill Law Firm, P.C. Office by completing the form on the contact page or by calling 913-381-1500 to learn more.
