How Can Mediation Help with a Louisville Divorce?

How can divorce attorneys in mediation help to get issues resolved more efficiently and cost effectively?  Divorce attorneys can assist couples who want to settle a case via mediation instead of litigation.  When people think of reaching out to an attorney for a divorce, they often imagine an aggressive lawyer, fighting everything tooth and nail. But while that may be helpful for some people, for many others, divorce and custody matters can best be settled by agreement through a mediation.

What is mediation?

A mediation is an opportunity for both sides of a disagreement to get together with a neutral third party to help focus on coming to a mutual agreement on at least some of the issues. In the case of divorce, mediation can help parties talk through any and all issues. Everything from property division to child custody, from the division of a business or professional practice to retirement accounts, mediators can help lead parties through the issues one by one.

How Can an Attorney Help

Divorce attorneys in mediation can be a huge asset. First, an attorney can help you know what the issues are likely to be in advance. An experienced attorney can help you understand what the likely sticking points would be in an agreement. He or she would also be able to explain how the local court would weigh certain factors or concerns, and provide an explanations of any questions in advance.

Additionally, during the mediation, an attorney can help you stay focused on your key points. The attorney is an uninvolved party. While he or she is hired to assist you obtain your goals, he or she does not have to also battle with feelings of resentment, old hurts, or other confounding issues that may be upsetting for you during a mediation. The attorney can help guide you to parts of the discussion that would be most useful.

In general, mediation works best when both sides have approximately equal bargaining power. In cases where one party has more power than the other, for example in cases where there has been domestic abuse , an attorney can be critical in making sure that the victim’s voice is heard. An attorney for the victim can also assist in making sure that the aggressive party does not harangue the other party into making an agreement he or she would regret.

Side Benefits of Mediation

In addition to coming out with an agreement, mediation is often useful in helping parties learn to work well together. In many divorces, the parties will have to continue to work together long after the final agreement is made. From making child custody arrangements, to decisions about school activities, divorcing parents will need to continue to talk and communicate at least until the children are adults. Even in cases where there are no children, parties my need to continue to work together after a divorce to sell a house or manage other shared assets/debts.

If you are considering a divorce, contact us or call (502) 584-1108 to speak with an experienced family law attorney at Dodd & Dodd Attorneys, PLLC right away. Our attorneys can help you determine the best way to achieve your goals, and help you make sure your interests are protected.