Many Connecticut residents who have made the decision to divorce are naturally apprehensive about the divorce process. Everyone has most likely heard a horror story or two about someone else’s divorce and is afraid the same thing will happen to them.
There is no question that divorce brings challenges and can uproot an entire life. Sometimes married couples who want to divorce avoid doing so, for fear of the potential financial instability, or their inability to make it on their own. They may assume the process involves having to spend a lot of money and time in a courtroom under stressful circumstances.
While it is true that some divorces end up like that, there are many options today to make a divorce as painless a process as possible. If you and your spouse truly wish to have an amicable divorce, the divorce mediation process is something to be explored.
What is divorce mediation?
Traditionally, when spouses could not agree on the terms of a divorce, they had to fight things out in a courtroom, leaving a judge to decide. This often resulted in stress and uncertainty.
Divorce mediation replaces a judge with a divorce attorney designed to act as a neutral third party who is there to help you and your spouse make your own decisions on divorce terms.
How does the process work?
The divorce mediation process in Connecticut involves a series of meetings between you, your spouse and the divorce mediator. The first meeting usually involves the mediator describing the mediation process and identifying a list of unresolved divorce issues.
After that, the mediator will advise you on documents you may need to help reach the best solution to each issue. For example, if division of retirement accounts is an issue, the mediator will tell you and your spouse to bring a recent retirement account statement to your next meeting.
You will have a series of meetings, hopefully culminating in a divorce agreement with terms agreed upon between you and your spouse. The main difference between divorce mediation and traditional courtroom litigation is that you and your spouse make the decisions in mediation. The mediator is there only to guide you and provide feedback and advice when necessary.
Going through a divorce is never easy. Even if you choose to engage in the divorce mediation process, having legal advice from someone with your best interests in mind is essential.