Mediation Divorce on a Dime: Part III

Mediation in Family Law cases can happen either pre-suit or during the litigation process.  Pre-suit Mediation is where a neutral mediator is used to help settle the dispute between both parties before the lawsuit is initiated, which means before the initial Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is filed.

Family Law Mediators go through a lengthy training and are certified by the State of Florida to participate in Family Law Mediations. They are objective professionals who can help both parties overlook trivial disputes and clearly focus on the important issues at hand.  They help develop solutions by offering ideas, identifying and framing issues, and when appropriate, proposals for settlement.

Parties who know they want to file for divorce have an opportunity to work out the details related to the division of assets and liabilities, Child Support and Parenting Issues before the filing of any Petition for Dissolution. If the Parties can agree on all of the details relating to their case, the process of filing an uncontested Petition and proceeding to a Final Hearing is much quicker than typical litigation.

Mediation may also be engaged in after the initiation of the lawsuit. In Florida, parties to domestic relations case must attempt to resolve the issues in their case through Mediation before appearing before a judge.

When successful, mediation can be appealing because the parties can bring forth an acceptable outcome and compromised resolution without having to rely on a judge to determine the results.  To seek more information regarding the use of mediation to address your family law dispute, please visit our website or call our office for more information.