Couples who divorce in Florida go through mediation before getting to court if they cannot establish their own divorce agreements. Although many people have heard of mediation, not everyone may know why it can be beneficial to those who are experiencing conflict. This post will introduce some of the advantages that individuals may experience when they use the mediation process during their divorces.
What is mediation, and is it possible in divorce?
Mediation is not litigation. It does not happen in a courtroom and a mediator cannot compel a person to follow an unagreed upon order or rule. In mediation two people attempt to set their differences aside and discuss issues that will impact their lives and futures. In Florida, mediation is often an important part of securing a divorce.
What are the advantages of divorce mediation?
Mediation can take some of the stress out of a divorce when the parties are willing to work together to end their relationship. Because mediation can be efficient, for some people it results in a shorter and less costly divorce process. When individuals are allowed to talk and work through their differences, they can sometimes emerge from their mediation sessions with greater clarity on why their conflicts originally existed.
One thing that all divorcing parties should know is that mediation may not be successful. There are situations when two parties cannot find common ground and cannot establish agreements through which to interact in their post-divorce lives. When this happens, the parties may go to court to litigate their differences and have a judge intervene as needed.
This post does not provide any legal advice. It should not be read as guidance on how to handle specific divorce-related concerns. All readers facing divorce can consider talking to knowledgeable divorce attorneys about mediation and the divorce process in Florida.