How Long Does Divorce Mediation Take? Divorce Mediation St. Louis Missouri https://MediationServicesLLC.com (314) 272-0727
I'm Nicole Davis, a (CDFA and Divorce Mediator in Missouri). I provide divorce and mediation services in St. Louis Missouri.
My #1 goal is to provide divorce information related to your divorce options and the divorce process that is helpful to you, your family, or someone you know that is looking for divorce information.
In this video I’d like to answer a common question that many couples have which is “How long does divorce mediation take?”.
This is a great question because one of the biggest benefits of divorce mediation is that it saves divorcing spouses a lot of time when compared to litigated divorce.
To answer the question, IT DEPENDS.
Here are the 3 variables that impact the length of the divorce mediation process.
#1 Being Prepared to Move Forward
I’m not sure if anyone is ever ready for divorce. What I mean here, is that sometimes spouses are overwhelmed with emotions. Sometimes the emotions prevent them from successfully participating in mediation. This is especially true when one spouse has been preparing for divorce and the other spouse was surprised by the news.
In these situations, where emotions are counterproductive to the mediation process I recommend that one, or both, spouses work with a family therapist trained in divorce. A family therapist will help you work through the emotions so that you can successfully participate in mediation.
#2 Getting Organized
Divorce mediation is a structured process that provides opportunity to develop creative solutions to issues to the family. Effective and successfully brainstorming and problem solving requires an organized process. Not all divorce mediators work the same way, so one of the questions you should ask is “what steps do you take in the mediation process to keep us organized and moving forward?”.
Each mediator has their own process so don’t be surprise if you get slightly different responses. Just listen to their explanation and then decide what feels right for you.
We help our clients get, and stay organized, by utilizing a client portal where spouses can save documents for review and use in the mediation process. We provide financial and document checklists to aid in the gathering of all necessary information. When appropriate, we give homework that the spouses will complete between sessions in preparation for future meetings.
#3 Come with an Open Mind
Sometimes one or both spouses get stuck – only seeing their side of the situation. Sometimes they are completely unwilling to see the other person’s side at all. This approach can stall or end the divorce mediation process.
Divorce mediation is built on finding solutions to disagreements. In order to do that everyone must come in with an open mind, willing to hear the other person’s perspective, give respect to each others wants and concerns. When spouses can respect each other enough to at least be willing to hear the other side the mediator is able to facilitate a productive dialogue of to identify the issues. Brainstorm and creatively problem-solve so that the spouses can reach agreeable solutions.
Divorce mediation is an effective alternative to litigation. It isn’t appropriate for every divorcing couple. The spouses that utilize the process successfully are more satisfied with the divorce process and their divorce outcome. This is because they had control over the solutions and a judge didn’t decide the outcome, they crafted the agreements themselves.
If you are getting divorced or want to know more about your divorce options or if you are looking for a divorce mediator in Missouri or Illinois then give us a call (314) 272-0727 or visit our website at mediationservicesllc.com to learn more.
And we’d love to hear from you. Give us your feedback or let us know what you’d like to hear about by leaving a comment below.
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