1. SAVE MONEY
We do not have an up-front retainer for mediation. Sessions are paid for on a pay as you go basis. Mediation clients can space the sessions to accommodate the financial outlay that is comfortable. You never have to pay for two attorney retainers as in a litigated divorce, and you do not incur double hourly fees for two attorneys.
2. FASTER RESULTS
Mediated divorces are usually faster than litigated divorces. Mediated divorces are not delayed by the crowded court calendars or adjournments by attorneys. You can proceed at the pace that you choose.
3. MORE CONTROL OVER DECISIONS
You make your decisions. A judge does not make all your decisions for you. That’s a good thing because you know the most about your needs and those of your children.
4. NO TIME WASTED IN COURT
You never go to court. Anyone who has been through a litigated divorce can tell you about endless hours spent at court conferences where the clock is running while everyone waits, and the clients may be excluded from the discussion between the lawyers and the judge.
5. LESS STRESSFUL
You are not subjected to the intense pressures and stresses of litigating.
6. LOWER EMOTIONAL COSTS
The mediator seeks to establish a pattern of respectful communication between you and your spouse. While recognizing the anger and hurt that are often present, she assists you in maintaining constructive participation. This helps to set a more positive pattern for your long term post-divorce relationship.
7. BETTER LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS
Couples who mediate tend to maintain better long-term relationships with former spouses and more involvement in the normal activities of child rearing. A mediator who is a licensed therapist is best qualified to guide you in decisions affecting your children, including when and how to inform them of your divorce.
8. BETTER PARENTING PLANS
A mediator who is an experienced and licensed therapist will make certain that a parenting plan reflects an understanding of the developmental stages of your children.
9. BETTER LONG-TERM COMPLIANCE
Because mediated agreements grow out of serious cooperative discussions between you, you are more likely to be accepting of the terms of the agreement and less likely to seek to overturn them in court. If conditions change and a modification of the agreement is called for, that too can be mediated
10. MORE ULTIMATE SATISFACTION
You are much more likely to end up feeling you got a fair agreement and that the costs were reasonable. You will experience more satisfaction with the process than litigants experience with court battles.
Clients have reported that they found the experience empowering. Clients also report that they are pleased that they will always be able to look back with pride at the way they conducted themselves under very trying circumstances. They are pleased to have participated with honesty, integrity, and even compassion.