Divorce Mediation 847-778-2896

The Divorce Mediation process is when a specially trained mediator helps you
and your spouse reach an agreement where all issues related to your separation

What is Divorce Mediation?

By Robert Brass,
Divorce Mediator

Divorce mediation is a way for you to resolve your divorce and keep full control of the outcome. The only people making decisions are you and your spouse, unlike litigation where final decisions are made by a judge. During mediation, spouses typically sit down for several 1-3 hour meetings, and work together on issues like parenting, finances and property distribution. As mediators, we are there to facilitate that discussion, assisting with communication, providing guidance, and offering suggestions and compromises. We use our specialized training to help you resolve your differences and create a Memorandum of Understanding, an agreement that’s fair to both you and your spouse, and if you have children, in their best interests as well.

How Does the Process Work?

The actual mediation process involves following a step-by-step outline in a balanced and nonconfrontational way. Generally, you’ll start with the smaller issues and work your way up to the tougher ones so that you can build some momentum and trust.

What is the Mediator’s Role?

As mediators, we remain neutral and impartial, facilitating a free and open exchange of information between both parties. We can’t give specific advice to either spouse and we also can’t act as your lawyer. What we can do is use the open mediation session to point out things both spouses need to keep in mind about their final goals. Because you’re both working from the same base of information, you can negotiate with confidence and usually arrive at an equitable resolution much more quickly.

Why is Mediation Generally Less
Expensive than Litigation?

Mediation is more affordable because it’s faster and more direct. Most people come to mediation willing to work on their issues and learn how to communicate better. That willingness translates into a less expensive divorce because resolving a case is almost always cheaper than taking it to trial. Rather than speaking through lawyers, you speak with each other with our help about your goals and issues. Even if lawyers are involved in your mediation, and we do recommend that you have legal counsel, they aren’t spending hours in court waiting for the judge or billing you for endless phone calls about the smallest details of your case. When you bring an attorney into the mediation process, they help show you a range of possible outcomes by comparing litigation to mediation, and their fees are typically much lower than direct litigation.