Is Divorce Mediation Less Expensive than hiring attorneys and going through a divorce the old fashioned way - with lawyers and judges?

When you hire a qualified, competent Divorce Mediator, Divorce Mediation is almost always far less expensive than traditional divorce litigation, where each spouse hires a separate attorney and the attorneys argue the spouses' positions to a judge in a courtroom. Rather than hire two attorneys (no one attorney can represent both spouses in a divorce - even an amicable divorce) the couple hires one mediator (one divorce mediator can work with both spouses.) This alone generally cuts the cost of the divorce dramatically. If you hire an incompetent Divorce Mediator, you may end up with an unacceptable divorce agreement and have to start over, which, of course, can be quite costly! Beware of one-stop-shopping type "centers" that try to get you to hire them or their referrals. Ask for credentials beyond "certificates".