How To Ensure Success During Mediation

The majority of divorce cases in Florida must first go through mediation before they enter the litigation phase. Mediation is a good time to try and reach an agreement with your spouse about the terms of the divorce. You and your spouse will meet with a mediator, who is a neutral third party that will try and foster communication and compromise so you can come to an agreement. Ideally, cases are settled during mediation, but that is not always the case. If you are getting a divorce, below are some tips to make mediation as successful as possible.

Do Not Focus on Winning

Neither party “wins” during mediation. Each will have to compromise and give up certain terms to obtain what is most important to them. If you focus on winning your case, mediation will not work and you will likely end up in trial. During a divorce trial, you will not have as much control over the process and you may end up losing more than you would have in mediation.

Prepare Your Financials

Regardless of how you are going to resolve the issues of your divorce, you should prepare your financials. This holds true for mediation,  too. Prepare a list of the assets you and your spouse own, and who should keep them once the divorce is finalized. Also create a list of the debts and try to determine who you believe should be responsible for them once the divorce is official.

Put Your Children First

If you and your spouse have children together, the thought of losing time with them is one of the most difficult aspects of divorce. Still, you must put their best interests first and try to minimize the impact of divorce on them. One way to do this is to try and ensure the divorce will not affect their life any more than necessary. For example, if you spent every Fourth of July with your family during the marriage and your spouse’s family always hosted Thanksgiving, try and keep these plans the same, as they are what your children have become accustomed to.

Set Goals

You must always set goals for yourself during the divorce process, and this also holds true when entering mediation. Consider which property is most important to you, and which you are willing to let go of. Also consider if you want to settle the entire divorce during mediation, or if you just want to work on one or two issues. The mediator will likely ask you what your goals are for mediation at the start of the process, which helps them steer the dialogue in a way that is efficient and productive.

Work with a Family Lawyer in Orlando

Even if you filed for divorce on your own, it is always best to work with an Orlando family lawyer during the mediation process. At Anderson & Ferrin, P.A., our skilled attorney will always ensure your rights are being upheld and that any settlement agreed on in mediation is fair. Call us today at 407-412-7041 or fill out our online form to schedule a free review of your case.