Celebrity news sources are often full of accounts of acrimonious celebrity divorces, and we all know people whose divorces were excruciating affairs. Does it have to be this way? It may if the parties are not able to communicate with each other amicably for whatever reason. But if spouses are still on speaking terms, there may be an alternative available to knock-down, drag-out litigation. That alternative is mediation. This blog post will discuss mediation in a little more detail.
In mediation, the spouses together hire a person to help facilitate fruitful discussion between them. This person is a specially trained individual called a mediator. Mediators are neutral, meaning they do not represent either party and they are not biased in favor of either party. The mediator’s goal is to help the parties create a divorce agreement that is fair, legally sound and mutually acceptable while avoiding expense and minimizing trauma, hostility and controversy during and after the process.
How does a mediator do this? A mediator’s role is to facilitate communication and promote understanding between the parties. Mediators try to focus parties on their interests, and they often use creative problem solving to guide the parties into coming to an agreement that each one can live with.
When spouses use mediation, not only do they avoid expenses and keep channels of communication open, they also often protect the parties’ confidentiality. If spouses are able to settle their differences amicably, this can help with navigating their children’s custody plan as well. Broomfield, Colorado, family law mediation attorneys are able to serve as divorce mediators.
