Dissolving a marriage? Mediation may make it easier

On Behalf of | Apr 25, 2017 | blog |

The thought of fighting with your spouse about how to divide your assets or about who gets to keep the children may be overwhelming and exhausting for you during the divorce process. However, not every divorce situation has to involve going to war with a future ex. With divorce mediation in the state of Ohio, the process of dissolving a marriage can be relatively amicable.

What exactly is mediation?

Mediation involves relying on a neutral third party known as a mediator to help you and your spouse to address issues that arise during your marital split-up. This party’s job is essentially to help you both communicate by ensuring that each of you has the chance to speak with no interruptions. The mediator may also ask you to restate your point or to clarify what you are trying to say.

This third party might also give you helpful information about today’s legal system and explain to you how a judge views a certain issue or scenario. Your mediator may furthermore point you to an appraiser to get a certain asset valued, for instance.

So, how does it all work?

When you go through mediation, you can expect to attend multiple meetings before the process is complete. The first meeting allows you and your future ex to call attention to the biggest issues you wish to resolve through this process. Afterward, you can focus on gathering the information needed for your future sessions.

During subsequent meetings, you will devote your time and energy to trying to find common ground with your spouse on a variety of issues. The goal of mediation is for both parties’ needs to be met regarding the issues being discussed. Each session may last between one and two hours. After you and your spouse have reached an agreement, your mediator will put together a formal document for both of you to review.

Your advocate

Mediation is beneficial in that it enables you to take control of your own life during and after divorce rather than giving the court the power to decide how the rest of your life will unfold after dissolving a marriage. Nevertheless, you and your spouse will have the option of obtaining separate legal counsel to protect your rights throughout the process. A knowledgeable attorney in the state of Ohio can help you to achieve a settlement that is in your best interest during this legal process.