If you are a Floridian considering divorcing your spouse, you may have heard about an increasingly popular way to handle divorce matters called alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Mediation is a type of ADR and to settle your divorce outside of a courtroom, a neutral third party will help you and your ex come to a settlement.
The divorce mediator will help you communicate effectively, settle your differences and decide the terms of your divorce. Before deciding if divorce mediation is the right avenue for you, consider these factors:
You can still communicate with your spouse
You can make mediation work for your divorce if both parties can communicate respectfully and work to compromise. If you plan to co-parent with your soon-to-be ex, working through mediation is a good sign for future parenting communications.
You prefer to set the terms yourself
Mediation allows you to have more control over the terms of your divorce. The mediator will guide you in reaching agreements and compromises. Unlike in a traditional divorce litigation, a judge will not determine the divorce terms. Instead, you have more say.
You want your divorce to stay private
Depending on the privacy you require, mediation may fit your needs better. All discussions in the mediation setting stay completely private between the mediator, you and your ex-spouse. This is not the case in a traditional divorce setting as eventually, your divorce will become public record. In traditional divorce litigation, your case will eventually become public record. Even if you end up in court for part of the divorce proceedings, none of the mediation records will become public.
Overall, there are fairly large perks to divorce mediation if you prefer to handle your legal matters in a more private setting.
