California residents may know that mediation is often sought by parties involved in complex business disputes who hope to avoid protracted and potentially ruinous litigation, but they may not be aware that this approach can also be taken by spouses who are facing the end of a marriage. Divorce mediation is becoming increasingly popular as the cost of pursuing court actions continues to rise and research is released about the impact that a scorched earth legal battle can have on all parties concerned.
Divorce mediation has benefits that go beyond saving time and possibly money. The events that transpire in a courtroom are open to the public and there for all the world to see, but mediation is a private process that takes place behind closed doors. While this has made mediation particularly popular among celebrities used to being hounded by the press, those with more conventional lives may also appreciate being able to keep their most intimate details away from prying neighbors and work colleagues.
Another benefit of divorce mediation is that it is a collaborative effort, and those involved are more likely to abide by the terms of an agreement that they had a hand in making than an order handed down by a judge. It can also be viewed as the first step in a more mature and professional post-divorce relationship rather than the last battle of a failed marriage.
While divorce mediation may offer a number of significant advantages, it can only succeed when both parties are prepared to listen to one another and the mediator involved has a temperament suited to the couple involved. Family law attorneys may suggest divorce mediation to spouses who seem prepared to be flexible and wish to avoid the unpredictable nature and long-term consequences of a judicial decision.