Opting for mediation when getting a divorce in California is common when child custody or visitation arrangements must be made. However, you also have the choice of taking your divorce to court if you cannot agree on these issues. When you’re tasked with making the decision between going to divorce court or working with a mediator, it helps to understand the benefits of mediation. The team from Divorce Options San Diego—the experts in San Diego divorce mediation who offer a comprehensive alternative to expensive, time-consuming divorce litigation—explain why mediation is better than going to divorce court.
Keeps Divorce Costs Lower
Every penny you spend on your divorce is money you could put toward starting your new life. Divorce already comes with many potential expenses, such as needing to buy a new home. It just makes sense to keep costs low when you can. Paying for a mediator is obviously less expensive than paying for two lawyers, as it gives you and your spouse more money to split when you work out the agreement to divide up your assets.
Finalizes Your Divorce Faster
Going to divorce court requires you to wait in line behind other families who are doing the same thing. It can take a while to get a court date in California, and it’s possible you could have to go to court several times if you haven’t worked things out in mediation. Working things out with the help of a mediator tends to be faster. Once you’ve worked out your agreement, the mediator submits it to the court for approval. In many cases, you can even have this agreement worked out during your six-month waiting period so you get your divorce as soon as it’s legally possible.
Lays the Groundwork for Healthy Co-Parenting
Your past marriage may have been filled with strife, but divorce gives you and your spouse a chance to work on a happier future. While you might not live together anymore, your children depend on you both to work together to guide them as they grow. Divorce court requires hiring lawyers who try to pit you two against each other, which only breeds bad feelings that affect your ability to parent properly. With mediation, you start learning how to work with your spouse immediately so you’re better equipped to handle parenting challenges down the road.
Keeps Your Personal Information Out of the Public Eye
Unless you get special orders from a judge, most events in court are considered public information, which means you could potentially have your name dragged through the mud and suffer damage to your reputation. This is a big concern if you or your spouse have jobs in the public eye. Details of the mediation process aren’t part of an official record or made available to the public. This extra level of confidentiality means no one has to know about your personal history.
Couples looking for an alternative to the enormously expensive adversarial manner in which divorces are usually handled should reach out to the experienced professionals at Divorce Options San Diego. We’re San Diego divorce mediators you can trust to help you dissolve your marriage in a way that’s based on respect and mutual satisfaction. Give us a call today at (858) 281-2628 to learn more.
