TOP 5 REASONS WHY DIVORCE MEDIATION IS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE TO LITIGATING YOUR DIVORCE

By Gerald A. Maggio, Esq.

Top Orange County divorce mediators; California divorce mediatorsBy:  Gerald Maggio, Esq.

1.     Contested divorces produce harsh emotional and financial tolls on children, not to mention the parties.   Mediated divorce offers a quicker, less expensive and less burdening process of dissolving your marriage.

2.    According to recent statistics on U.S. marriages, approximately 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce. In California, it is closer to 60%.  Therefore, custody is often an issue in such cases and children often end up being victims of a power struggle between parents.  Mediated divorce is a viable alternative to litigation and is gaining in popularity.

3.    Divorce mediation is a negotiated settlement between the two parties using a third-party.  The mediator has no power to make decisions for the divorcing parties,  enabling the two parties to openly and honestly discuss and decide how to resolve the pending issues of their marital dissolution.  Neither spouse is given preference over the other.  As a result, the children of the marriage are not exposed to, and are spared, the emotional and psychological turmoil that often accompanies a divorce that goes to litigation.

4.    Settling out of court through divorce mediation saves the marital finances from being spent on attorneys.  That helps preserve the marital estate for the parties, but also for the children.  Paying for a contentious, litigated divorce can drastically effect children’s present situation and future because when a couple’s financial worth is substantially reduced after paying each party’s attorney fees and the remaining assets are divided, there are less resources for everyone.  This can result in lower standards of living for the parents and the children, and less opportunities for children regarding education, health, and other issues.  In the end, the financial strain, compounded with the already emotional distress of the divorce, can cause deep emotional tolls on children.

5.    A mediated divorce occurs out-of-court and is handled in an impartial and confidential way.  In other words, the “dirty laundry” of your marriage is not put on display in court.  Mediating your divorce is a less invasive, less stressful way to resolve what is likely one of the most difficult times in anyone’s life.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact California Divorce Mediators at (949) 553-0911 or at www.cadivorcemediators.com.

To learn more about the divorce process in California and how mediation can help, please visit our page, “What is Divorce Mediation.”