Divorce mediation is an increasingly popular alternative to acrimonious traditional divorce litigation. It is a calm, rational negotiation to iron out the terms of a marriage's end.

A mediator helps a husband and wife negotiate a divorce by assisting with communication, acting as a buffer when tempers flare, and providing information and conflict resolution strategies. This method has the advantages of lower costs, less stress, and an agreement that the parties want to stick to rather than one that they are forced to.Fort Lauderdale Divorce Mediation

It is a fact that a traditional in-court divorce, complete with conflicting attorneys and drama outside of court, can be extremely costly for a husband and wife who are already struggling. Costs associated with a typical divorce can be anywhere from two to ten times higher than those associated with divorce mediation.

For typical divorce cases, many lawyers charge a retainer fee of $2,500 to $5,000 and bill the client for any services provided in addition to the time covered by the retainer. Additionally, the attorney will be charged even more money if the case is brought back to court as a result of subsequent litigation. Divorcing couples can forge an agreement that both parties can live with and significantly reduce this cost by using a divorce mediator.

The parties' attorneys, a neutral attorney, or an attorney-mediator who can inform both parties of their legal rights but does not offer advice can participate in mediation sessions, which can also be conducted without attorneys. Attorneys who have handled divorce cases may serve as divorce mediators.

Typically, divorce mediation proceeds as follows:

The initial gathering: The mediator and the couple will determine what needs to be talked about and when. They'll also decide what data, like tax and property records, should be collected and shared.

After the first meeting, the divorce mediator walks the couple through the problems they're having and helps them figure them out. He or she also suggests ways to come to an agreement and avoid conflict. If negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the mediator may also offer guidance on how disagreements would be resolved in court.

The mediator drafts an agreement for the parties to review and, if they have them, their attorneys, once the couple has reached an agreement on all issues in the divorce mediation.

When compared to couples who go through an adversarial divorce, those who mediate their divorce are more likely to be satisfied with the process and the results, likely to take less time and spend less money, and less likely to go back to court later to fight about something because of the collaborative and communicative nature of divorce mediation.

Mediation during a divorce keeps you and your spouse in charge. That can help you get over the break, move on, and have fun in life.