When Friends and Family Can Hinder Divorce Mediation

By Gerald A. Maggio, Esq.

Divorce mediation attorneys Orange County; California Divorce MediatorsDivorce is something each and every person looks to avoid. The purpose of getting married is never to end up divorced and yet there are often situations where the only way to make sure that the lives of both the spouses continue normally is for them to part ways.

Most cases of divorce can often be settled out of court, using a number of alternative dispute resolution methods, such as Orange County divorce mediation. What most spouses don’t realize is that, when they are going through a divorce the support of their family and friends is integral.

Family and Friends–The Supporting Cast

Going through a divorce can be hard. There is a lot of anger and grief within the person. In such situations the importance of their friends and family rallying around them and offering the spouse their utmost support can make all the difference. Although most spouses don’t know it, when you have your loved ones backing your decisions it can instill confidence and confidence at a time when you are facing the unlikely task of having to part ways with your spouse is important.

Family and Friends A Hiccup?

There are primarily two ways to divorce, one is through the courts and the other is through mediation. The support of friends and family is important in the process of litigation when you are fighting a battle against the other spouse, in mediation though that support can ruin the chances of its success.

When you are aggrieved at the other spouse and their actions, your friends and family will almost naturally side with you. They will support you not only moral but emotional support to get through the crisis unscathed. Sometimes this emotional help can be in the way of channeling your anger towards the other spouse. Making sure they join you in your fury and anger over their actions which led to the downfall of this relation.

While this may be good for litigation it can prove disastrous for Orange County divorce mediation. The process of mediation is all about making sure that the two spouses sit together and resolve their issues through mutual consultation. Mediation empowers the two spouses to come up with and agree on the solutions to their problems. Led by divorce mediators they are ideally held in healthy atmosphere with both parties comfortable with the other.

If the support of your friends and family starts to fuel your anger towards your spouse, it is going to show in the mediation. You may start to curse the other spouse, make sure his or her demands are not agreed upon etc. This is an illogical way to deal with mediation and one that could not only waste your time, but it could also mean the failure of the process.

So while the support of friends and family is important it should be well within the limits.

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