Divorce mediation
Mediation helps you to deal with the turmoil of sorting out children and financial matters before, during or after divorce or separation. Whoever commences the divorce, or even if it is a mutual decision, going through the divorce process itself often has a significant emotional impact of both parties, as well as increasing the financial burden on the family as a whole.
Providing a divorce is not contested, the legal process of obtaining the Decree Nisi and Decree Absolute to become divorced is straightforward. It is recommended that you see a solicitor who will guide you through the forms required.
However the untangling of lives is usually much less straightforward, and in many cases, unless the couple can sort this out between themselves, they often rely on professional help to deal with this.
Divorce mediation enables parties to sort out the practical child and/or financial arrangements that inevitably arise from a separation of lives.
Divorce mediation covers a whole range of scenarios and can deal with a single issue or several. In respect of child arrangements, mediation can, for example, help parents make day to day arrangements, longer term plans around holidays, birthdays and Christmas, as well as decisions about education, religion and the introduction of new partners.
Divorce family mediation helps to establish a way of communicating, enabling divorcing or separating couples to co-operate in the future. The aim of family mediation is to help make jointly agreeable decisions about children.
Similarly, working out financial arrangements can be difficult for separating couples to deal with on their own. Divorce mediation helps to resolve property issues and other assets, as well as questions over income and debts. Unlike the court process, family divorce mediation can deal with both children arrangements and financial arrangements together as they are often interrelated.
Divorce mediation gives divorcing couples control over outcomes and ensure they have a voice. It reduces polarisation and assists in decaling conflict.
How you wish to resolve your issues will depend on the circumstances of your case. It is likely your choice will be influenced mainly by how far there is a need for a directive approach in your case, taking into account factors of cost and timing, and how far you feel a face to face negotiation if likely to be helpful. However courts increasingly encourage separating couples to try mediation because research has shown they produce more lasting, co-operative outcomes.
If you would like to arrange an initial information and assessment meeting with one of our accredited family mediators please call 0113 320 2288 or complete our contact form.
