Being in a marriage that is slowly falling apart is a devastating experience. Having children that are caught in the middle of the conflict between you and your spouse can make that situation even worse. You might think that it will not be impossible to come to some sort of resolution with your spouse because your differences are so great. However, you need to make sure you explore all of your options. You might have never considered family mediation. This method of dispute resolution has helped many couples reach a solution to their dispute that is mutually beneficial to both parties. Here are several of the benefits that you will get from using family mediation to work out your differences with your significant other.
1. Family mediation will cost you a lot less than an expensive court battle.
It is the first instinct of some people to call a lawyer and go to court if they feel they have been wronged. This is also true of married couples who are nearing divorce. However, it is important to realize that hiring a divorce lawyer will start you down a very expensive legal path. You would be better off exploring less costly alternatives that could possibly get you the same or better results than you would in court. After all, your spouse will be less willing to listen your demands and work with you in a contentious divorce court setting. Getting out of a courtroom environment will give you a much better chance of getting what you want from your spouse.
2. Each person will be able to tell their side of the story and ask questions of their spouse.
The emphasis is on communication when you go through mediation. It is very crucial to the process that both parties know what the other wants and why they want it. This will hopefully lead to a healthy dialogue that will go a long way towards achieving an acceptable resolution to the dispute. Family mediation is much different than batting in court. First of all, there are no lawyers involved. The two parties will meet with a neutral mediator. This person has been trained to work out resolutions between disputing parties. The process might take several meetings in order for things to start moving on a positive direction. It is important to be patient and allow the mediation process to play itself out. Very few disputes are resolved in only a single mediation session. Make sure you find someone who have many years of experience dealing with family mediation in Toronto to handle your dispute.
3. The needs of children always get put first during family mediation.
Children often pay the highest price when their parents are going through a divorce. Their needs will routinely get neglected when their parents are more concerned about hurting one another during a bitter divorce. However, parents who are going through family mediation are told at the start of the process that the needs of the children are paramount. Both parties will be encouraged by the moderator to put their differences aside where their children are concerned. This often results in a healthier environment for the children. It makes it easier for the children to cope with the fact that their parents will be splitting up.
4. One of the core foundations of family mediation is mutual respect.
Paying a lawyer to spout insults at your spouse is not a great way to go about working out an agreement that you will both be satisfied with. The family mediation process leaves out all of the hurtful comments that are routinely part of divorce proceedings. Both parties are encouraged to engage in a productive dialogue. The moderator will get involved if the conversation becomes heated. It is important that both parties have a respectful attitude towards each other in order to ensure a positive outcome.
5. Family mediation takes a lot less time than divorce court.
Legal proceedings can drag on for many months. Lawyers have no incentive to get things finished as soon as possible. They want to keep getting paid. Family mediation does not have the lethargic pace of many divorce cases. This will allow you to move on with your life faster.