Divorce Mediation 847-778-2896

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’re 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.

The actual mediation process involves following a step-by-step outline in a balanced and non-confrontational 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, though, 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, of course) 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.

Why Should I Choose Mediation?
In comparing couples who have mediated their divorce with couples who have gone through a traditionally litigated divorce, research has shown:

(ARA) - To say that money matters have been getting a lot of attention as of late is an understatement. It's hard to turn on the television, read a newspaper or surf the Web without the topic coming up in one form or another. While many of us have grown used to the constant chatter, it might not be the case for children. (Complete Article)

Given the economic crisis, now, more than ever, it's important to teach the children in your life about the basics of money management. And to take it a step further.

Kids today learn about money the same way most adults did -- by watching and listening to those closest to them. While getting a weekly or monthly allowance and saving for the "must-have" toy are certainly important life lessons, there is another element that is much easier for adults to overlook. Sharing and giving back.

"Saving, spending, and sharing can be the cornerstones of a financial education foundation that can last a lifetime for kids, " says Laura Dierke, financial education program manager with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a faith-based financial services organization. "Most of us have a pretty good handle on how to teach the basics of saving and spending. But lessons on sharing aren't always as easy."

This April 24, during Financial Literacy Month, parents have the opportunity to take a first step in teaching this lesson during the first-ever national Teach Your Kids to Share Day. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans established the event to bring parents and kids together to learn about spending, saving and sharing not only their money, but also their time and talents. More than 50 cities across the United States will be hosting a Teach Your Kids to Share Day event filled with fun and interactive workshops.

Spending, saving and sharing may be simple concepts, but making intentional decisions about these three S's is an important part about helping children develop healthy money habits.

Here are three ways you can use to start the lesson at home:
* Discuss with your child how you spend, save and share your money. For example: explain how you spend money on groceries and the home; how you save money by depositing money in the bank; and how you share money by supporting your place of worship or a charitable cause.

* Ask your child to write down how they want to spend their money, what they want to save their money for and how they want to share.

* Work together on establishing a guideline on how they'll manage their money. For example -- if you set "share 10 percent, save 10 percent and spend 80 percent" as a guideline, the next time your child gets $20 as a birthday gift, the child should divide the money to meet the guideline.

Most importantly, make sharing an ongoing conversation. Talking with your child is one of the best ways to build a financial foundation for the whole family.

Amidst today's turbulence is a silver lining. While many of us re-evaluate our attitudes toward our financial choices, we have an opportunity to take a step back to make sure we are passing on important lessons beyond dollars and cents to the next generation.

Courtesy of ARAcontent