Once you’ve decided to pursue a divorce, you may be overwhelmed by thoughts of what the process might be like: meetings with lawyers, waiting for court dates, putting up with delays, and ultimately not having a great deal of control over how or when the process plays out.

1. Once you’ve decided to pursue a divorce, you may be
overwhelmed by thoughts of what the process might be like:
meetings with lawyers, waiting for court dates, putting up with
delays, and ultimately not having a great deal of control over how
or when the process plays out. Along the way, there will be bills
from attorneys on both sides, compounding an already costly
process.

2. • It doesn’t have to be this way. With divorce mediation, you can avoid many of the hassles and
frustrations of a court divorce. There are distinct advantages to using mediation to settle the
dissolution of your marriage. For one thing, it can significantly speed up the process and lead to a
much quicker finalization than taking the traditional route through the courts. A mediator has much
greater flexibility than a judge: there are no court dates or times to adhere to, no operating hours
between which you must be present, no set process you must follow. You will have more options in
terms of where and when you meet; it is even possible to meet through video conferencing when
both parties can’t be present at the same time.
•
• A mediated divorce takes place with much greater confidentiality than a traditional one. You won’t
have to stand in a courtroom full of strangers and reveal the details of your marriage, family life, or
work situation. All of your meetings and documents are privileged, and you and the other party
control the discussion and the ultimate outcome.
•
• In a traditional divorce, each party is ultimately looking to “win” something from the other.
Attorneys must strategize and argue in the interest of one party, whereas mediators are there to help
both people communicate and work together effectively. This route is far less adversarial. The
mediator gets to know your family, something a judge can rarely do. This approach can lead to a
more stable ultimate outcome; if issues arise in the future, you can return to the mediator for
assistance in working them out.

3. Mediation is also much easier on your children. It spares
them of the experience of watching a protracted court
battle play out between their parents, a process that can
sometimes even necessitate that children take the stand or
be interviewed by strangers so that a judge can make
decisions about where and with whom they will live when
the divorce is finalized. In mediation, you and the other
party make all the decisions about your children based on
what you feel is best for them.
If you would like to learn more about a divorce attorney in
Irvine, visit this website www.dunnelawoc.com/divorce