How do you see things turning out with your divorce? The phrase I hear most often when clients are done with divorce mediation is, “Well, that was not as bad as I thought it was going to be.” We then discuss how this is usually a rough time in a person’s life, going through a divorce and adjusting to post-divorce life, but that using a divorce mediator and going through mediation rather than divorce litigation made it a little better. It helps you have a “good divorce”.
The divorce mediator remains neutral throughout the entire process. The mediator works directly with both spouses and does not take sides. However, the mediator can share information with both spouses that might steer the conversation in a new direction. For example, the mediator might point out that it is possible to have one parenting time schedule for the school year and a different one for the summer months. Or that it is more expensive to live in two homes than it is to live in one home, but your incomes have not increased, so it is not unusual for both spouses to have to make changes to their post-divorce lifestyles at first. This information can be helpful in allowing the spouses to then make decisions about their divorce agreement.
During the divorce mediation process you address all of the issues of your divorce, but not all at once. At Westfield Mediation, LLC, the divorce mediators help break down the entire process into smaller, more manageable steps. The first meeting is an introduction to the divorce process and explains each step of the way. The next meeting addresses your parenting plan and a comprehensive way to address all issues concerning your children. Then we move on to the finances. We help you lay out the overall financial picture of all of your marital assets and debts. Then we help you figure out how you are dividing these marital assets and debts. Another step is for you to complete a marital lifestyle and post-marital lifestyle budget form (these are tough but are required by the court). One of the last steps is to figure out child support and spousal support. These steps can be done in this exact order or sometimes overlap or are put on hold and returned to at a later date. But they all get addressed in mediation. And it is not as bad as you think.
For more information on divorce and divorce mediation, please contact Randi M. Albert, JD, or Michelle Weinberg, M.Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, at Westfield Mediation, LLC at 908.913.0373. View our website at www.westfieldnjmediation.com or email us at info@westfieldnjmediation.com.
The divorce mediator remains neutral throughout the entire process. The mediator works directly with both spouses and does not take sides. However, the mediator can share information with both spouses that might steer the conversation in a new direction. For example, the mediator might point out that it is possible to have one parenting time schedule for the school year and a different one for the summer months. Or that it is more expensive to live in two homes than it is to live in one home, but your incomes have not increased, so it is not unusual for both spouses to have to make changes to their post-divorce lifestyles at first. This information can be helpful in allowing the spouses to then make decisions about their divorce agreement.
During the divorce mediation process you address all of the issues of your divorce, but not all at once. At Westfield Mediation, LLC, the divorce mediators help break down the entire process into smaller, more manageable steps. The first meeting is an introduction to the divorce process and explains each step of the way. The next meeting addresses your parenting plan and a comprehensive way to address all issues concerning your children. Then we move on to the finances. We help you lay out the overall financial picture of all of your marital assets and debts. Then we help you figure out how you are dividing these marital assets and debts. Another step is for you to complete a marital lifestyle and post-marital lifestyle budget form (these are tough but are required by the court). One of the last steps is to figure out child support and spousal support. These steps can be done in this exact order or sometimes overlap or are put on hold and returned to at a later date. But they all get addressed in mediation. And it is not as bad as you think.
For more information on divorce and divorce mediation, please contact Randi M. Albert, JD, or Michelle Weinberg, M.Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, at Westfield Mediation, LLC at 908.913.0373. View our website at www.westfieldnjmediation.com or email us at info@westfieldnjmediation.com.
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