When you are thinking of options for your divorce, it is important to ask yourself what you would want the outcome to be (in an ideal world). Do you and your spouse have a lot of assets to divide? Do you have a complicated financial situation? If so, how do you see these financial issues playing out during the divorce? Do you have children? What do you think is best for them?
The main question you need to ask yourself is whether you would want control of these issues, or if you would want a judge to make these important decisions for you. Anger and hurt feelings aside, you still have your future to worry about.
When you go to court, you are letting a legal system that is over burdened and contentious guide your future. This means that a judge will need to be informed of the most personal matters in your life. The issues a judge may decide can range from how your property will be divided, if you can keep your house or if it must be sold, who will be responsible for paying back debt, where your kids will be spending their time, and everything in between.
To top it off, you won’t have any control over when these issues will be decided, as court dates can be far out on the judge’s calendar and may be postponed one or more times. Eventually, when you have reached the point of your final divorce, you may have spent tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on attorney’s fees and experts and still have ended up with a result you felt was less than fair.
Divorce mediation is a healthy alternative to litigation and is becoming more and more common in Orange County. Families are beginning to realize that even though they are in conflict, they should still have control over these major decisions. In addition, the financial and emotional expense associated with mediation is much lower! For example, if people hire attorneys in Orange County to go to court, they will each spend between $5,000 – $15,000 for a retainer fee. Remember, this amount is paid by each spouse and is just the starting point!!! In divorce mediation at Alternative Divorce Solutions, the couple will spend far less than $10,000 total!! This is a drastic price difference. The biggest benefit, however, is that the couple will work with a divorce mediation attorney who can guide them through the process in a manner that minimizes the emotional harm to their family.