How is divorce mediation different than going through the court system?
Divorcing couples typically hire attorneys to help them through the divorce process. Although divorce cases usually settle out of court without ever going to trial, the process leading up to trial is generally very expensive and highly adversarial when both parties are represented by attorneys. Lawyers are trained — and have a professional obligation — to obtain results that are in the best interest of their individual client. This kind of advocacy often ratchets up the adversarial nature of the divorce process, making an already contentious situation even more difficult — and more expensive. Additionally, if a divorce case does go to trial, the judge becomes the final decisionmaker, and his or her decisions may or may not be consistent with parties’ desires. By contrast to the traditional legal process, mediation allows individuals to determine the terms of their divorce. Instead of making you and your spouse enemies of one another, which is what often happens in the litigation proces
