Divorce can be a lengthy and expensive process. Couples who have been married for decades, have young children or share significant property can expect divorces to last the better part of a year, if not longer, and to potentially become very emotional.
A subset of divorcing couples in Ohio try to circumvent the stressful process of divorce litigation by mediating their divorces instead. Why do people choose divorce mediation even though it creates another cost in an already expensive process?
Mediation can save you money
When spouses can resolve their issues outside of court and seek an uncontested divorce, the average cost drops substantially. The cost of mediation could more than pay for itself by keeping your other divorce expenses lower.
Mediation gives you more control
People often don’t know what to expect in divorce court, as a judge has a lot of control over the outcome. In terms of property division and child custody, litigation means handing over the final decisions to someone else. If you and your ex reach an agreement and mediation, you will have full control over the terms of your divorce. Those with specific goals in their divorce proceedings may find mediation to be particularly beneficial.
Mediation saves you from public embarrassment
Will your ex likely bring up your infidelity in court? Do you worry that they may try to make allegations against you to influence custody or property division proceedings? What people say and do in court is usually part of the public record afterward.
If those same issues come up during mediation, the record of the conversations you have on those topics will be private. You can potentially consider factors ranging from misconduct and infidelity to bad spending habits without sharing those embarrassing details with the courts and the rest of the community.
Considering divorce mediation is a possible tool as you prepare for the end of your marriage could help you and your ex have a more amicable and less stressful divorce. At Hottenroth, Garverick, Tilson & Garverick, Co., L.P.A. we regularly assist clients in mediation and find it to be an excellent tool.
