Getting through your Washington divorce with as little conflict as possible may help you and your spouse to protect your children from emotional trauma and settle property division without going to court. Our team at Nunn Vhan & Lang, PLLC, often advises people that these are two of the primary benefits of mediation.
The American Bar Association explains that to get the most out of the meetings between you, your spouse and the unbiased third party who mediates your discussions, it is a good idea to prepare. Here are some of the questions you may want to answer before you go to the first session:
- What are the basic conflicts about for you?
- Are any of these caused by hurt feelings or misunderstandings?
- Are there objective standards, legal rules, documents or other information that may affect your view or your spouse’s regarding the conflict?
- What are your goals for mediation, and what do you believe your mediator needs to understand in order to help you reach those goals?
- What do you and your spouse each need in order to feel satisfied with the mediation outcome?
- How will an effective agreement through mediation affect your relationship with your former spouse in the future?
You should also try to determine ahead of time how a potential outcome compares to the alternative, which is likely to be taking your case before a judge. Keep in mind that going to court may cost more and will probably also drag out the divorce process, and there is no guarantee that the judge’s final decree will be better than the outcome you are unhappy with in mediation.
More information about the benefits of mediation is available on our webpage.
