Benefits Of Family Mediation

Going through a family law case, from a divorce to a child custody matter, is difficult for all of the parties involved. Whether your case only involves you and your spouse, or you have minor children from your marriage, it is important to think about ways to ease the tension in the case and to resolve your case in a manner that is acceptable to you and to the other parties. While divorces and child custody cases in Orlando certainly can be contentious, they do not have to be. Indeed, there are a variety of options for making the divorce or child custody process more dialogic and equitable, and family mediation often is one of the best options. We want to discuss some of the benefits of family mediation with you.

Saving Time and Money

 One of the major benefits of family mediation under Florida law is that it can save you both time and money. Cases that go through mediation and reach a resolution typically are finished much faster than cases that must be heard by a judge since there is no need to wait for hearing dates on a court calendar or to prepare for other aspects of family law litigation. Since mediation tends to take less time and does not require the work and waiting associated with litigation, it also tends to cost the parties much less than a family law case that ends in litigation.

Improved Communication 

Parties who enter into family mediation often improve their communication skills with one another as a result of the dialogue they must engage in during the mediation process. For spouses who share minor children from their marriage, improving communication skills can have enormous benefits in the future for co-parenting.

Privacy in Family Mediation 

Many people appreciate that family mediation allows you to maintain privacy in your family law matter. Unlike a case that goes to court, the issues discussed during mediation will not be public.

Does Not Have to Be Binding 

While some forms of alternative dispute resolution like arbitration are binding, meaning that the parties cannot appeal or take their case to court if they are unhappy with the outcome, mediation is not binding if the parties do not reach an agreement. To be sure, if mediation ultimately fails and you cannot reach an agreement with your ex about your divorce case, child custody, or another family law matter, you can certainly still go to court with your Orlando family law attorney and present your case to a judge. While you may lose a little bit of time and energy going through a mediation that is ultimately unsuccessful, the benefits if you can reach an agreement nearly always outweigh the possibility that the mediation will not result in a resolution.

Contact an Orlando Family Law Attorney 

Do you have questions about how family mediation could be beneficial in your divorce or child custody case? One of our experienced Orlando divorce attorneys can speak with you today about the benefits of mediation in a variety of family law matters. Contact Anderson & Ferrin for more information.

Resource:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0044/0044.html