Many people have the mistaken belief that when you’re getting a divorce, the first thing you need to do is call a lawyer. Although divorce does require you to work through the legal system, hiring a lawyer isn’t always in your best interests, especially if you and your spouse can work together and use divorce mediation instead. The team from Divorce Options San Diego—professionals who provide expert divorce mediation San Diego couples trust to help them create amicable, customized divorce solutions—explain how mediation works and why it’s not necessary to hire a lawyer.
Know the Difference Between Mediators and Lawyers
There are many differences between mediators and lawyers, but the biggest one is that a mediator is able to work with both you and your spouse to reach an agreement. A lawyer typically represents only one party in a divorce, which means you’ll need to have at least two attorneys in order for each party to be fairly represented. A mediator also differs from a lawyer in terms of techniques. While a lawyer might promote an antagonistic way of handling the divorce, a mediator will work hard to keep things as amicable as possible throughout the proceedings.
Understand How Lawyers Can Slow Down Your Divorce
People sometimes try to hire lawyers right away because they believe it will help them get what they want. Unfortunately, this tactic often backfires. Lawyers often pit the two parties against each other, and the one you hire could take an aggressive approach that slows down the proceedings. For instance, a stalemate on child custody could cause your divorce to go on for months while your children suffer through the confusion. The extra time spent on trying to reach an agreement can also cause you to spend more money and experience higher levels of stress than necessary.
Give Mediation Your Best Efforts
The best way to find out if you need a lawyer for your divorce is to start with mediation. In many cases, a divorce agreement is reached within just the first few sessions, which lets the couple know a lawyer won’t be necessary. While it’s sometimes challenging, working on things such as using positive communication skills and choosing to cooperate on issues that matter to both you and your spouse is better than having to fight it out in court.
Get More of What You Want in the Divorce Settlement
When lawyers set up an anger-filled court battle, you can expect to lose on at least a few issues. All the arguing and battling in court can lead the judge to lean in your spouse’s favor on issues that matter to you the most. With mediation, you can keep things civil so you’re able to think more clearly about what you want. You and your spouse can even work with the mediator to create a customized agreement that includes details that are personally important, such as who gets the kids for special holidays. Being able to create an amicable agreement through mediation instead of fighting it out through lawyers can save you time, money, and frustration.
All the financial, legal, psychological, and practical aspects of honorable, respectful divorce agreements can be managed by Divorce Options San Diego’s experienced, trustworthy divorce mediators. San Diego couples can rely on our specialized comprehensive process, which is so thorough they won’t need to hire attorneys. To learn how we can help you with every aspect of your divorce, call us today at 858-281-2628.
