Have you decided to end your marriage? If you are like most people getting divorced, you probably have concerns about how time-intensive and expensive your divorce will be. There are many factors which influence how an Illinois divorce proceeds. If you and your spouse agree on how to divide marital property, share time and responsibility of your children, and do not have disputes about other divorce issues, your divorce will likely be fairly straightforward. However, if you and your spouse disagree about divorce issues, this will increase the amount of time and money your divorce will require. Divorce litigation can be especially expensive, so most people try to avoid it whenever possible. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to courtroom litigation which can help Illinois couples reach an agreement on divorce issues. One of these methods of dispute resolution is mediation.
How Divorce Mediation Works
Most divorcing spouses have disagreements about spousal maintenance, property division, child support, parenting issues, and more. If spouses cannot come to an agreement about these issues on their own, the court may need to intervene. In situations such as this, mediation can be an effective alternative to litigation.
Divorce mediation or family law mediation involves assistance from a neutral third party, called a mediator. The mediator’s job is not to make decisions for the couple or choose sides, but instead to facilitate productive conversations about the issues so that couples can reach a compromise. Mediators can help keep the conversations and negotiations between divorcing spouses on track and help prevent the discussion from devolving into fruitless arguments. Mediation can be court-ordered or voluntary.
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