 The Digital Journal posted this about the costs of litigated divorce vs. mediated divorce.
"When going through a divorce process, money is often the last thing people want to add to their list of worries. Choosing to go through a litigated divorce is estimated to cost couples up to $32,000 and that’s if things go well as planned. In most cases, the cases don’t go well and even more money ends up being spent. Thankfully, mediated divorce offers a far more cost-effective alternative as everything can be mediated." Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4715373#ixzz6Perjnhwq
0 Comments
6/18/2020 Mediation Is the Secret to a Simple and Cost-Effective Divorce (by digitaljournal.com)Read Now Digital Journal just posted an article called 'Mediation is the Secret to a Simple and Cost-Effective Divorce.
Naturally, this may seem obvious, but may still be an under utilized option. In many cases the emotional and mental distress caused by divorce can cause parties to have tunnel vision and render them incapable of thinking through possible alternatives that are less-costly. "Anger and disappointments are common feelings in most divorce negotiation processes. In most cases, the involved parties have a hard time reaching agreement on divorce issues such as child custody, division of property, child support, and visitation issues among others. However, mediation often provides the divorcing spouses an opportunity to take control of their future lives by resolving the contentious issues without the necessity of litigation." Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4715373#ixzz6PeqffwL5  I LOVE hearing about creative solutions to co-parenting! It reminds me that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. There is seriously a world of possibilities when two sides have an open mind. ABC news featured a group of adults with only kids in common who decided to rent a house and shelter in place ALL TOGETHER to the benefit of the kids they share! What a beautiful gesture at a troubling time. Their kids will undoubtably look back and see this crisis as a positive life experience even though it will be a crazy adjustment for everyone.
 Familylawweek.co.uk posted an article about how to have mediation during a lockdown. They mention a lot of the issues that may need to be addressed during a lockdown situation:
What are some of the issues that could be addressed in mediation, that separated parents are facing during this unprecedented time? The following is by no means an exhaustive list, but sets out some examples:
It is always helpful to look at other resources and see what other mediators are addressing during these ever-changing circumstances. If you need mediation to discuss these issues, contact us today. Don’t wait.  Law.com posted an article discussing how fortunate it is that the legal profession can thrive virtually as the many other industries are unable to adapt. They focus a few paragraphs on Mediation specifically and how it is essentially the same as in-person:
The Zoom technology is remarkably easy to use. The virtual mediations I’ve done so far have involved participants covering the entire spectrum of computer prowess, and all have fared quite well. More importantly, the real engine of successful mediations–personal connections—hits on all eight cylinders in the virtual format. Following one recent virtual mediation of a significant injury case, the defense attorney told me how she was able to adjust her comments in the opening by reading the reaction of the plaintiff on the video. Just as with in-person mediations, the real-time feedback is there. So, from the perspective of our clients, virtual mediations have been an unequivocal success. And I can also say that, from a mediator’s perspective, it is no less so. Success for mediators comes only when we can personally connect with the parties and counsel. A quote attributed to Teddy Roosevelt says, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” At the mediation of any significant case, there comes a point when I am leading clients, step by step, to a place that, though necessary to get to, is tough terrain to traverse. If they don’t trust my judgment and motivation, they won’t take my hand. If you had asked me, even weeks ago, if this level of rapport could be established over a virtual medium, I would have said, “No way.” I was wrong. Happily, thankfully, mercifully, I was very wrong. Done Medation plans to resume all mediations via videoconferencing using Zoom as mentioned in this article. To schedule a mediation for yourself, contact us today.  timminstoday.com posted an article recently that gave some helpful tips to divorced parents. Click on the link above to read it for yourself. They gave much of the same advice as other articles mentioned in this blog pertaining to COVID-19, but they bring up the idea of keeping on task with creating a “temporary” parenting plan and leaving the big issues for later in this way:
Nail down off-limit conversations After ensuring children’s physical safety is looked after, Stewart advises mapping out how to protect their emotional health. One way is to put all conversations that lead to heated arguments or stress on hold. “We’re not going to talk about the future financial situation. We’re not going to talk about long-term custody arrangements,” Stewart said. “We are going to deal with this short term. So there should be some conversations that are taken off the table until this is done. If you’re dealing with lawyers, put them at bay.”  The Taunton Gazette in New York wrote an insightful article about the sudden need for mediation and parenting plans amid the pandemic. ````````````````````With new orders everyday for people to isolate, quarantine or lock down, how will you and your children adapt?
How will your custody change? How do your views on how to address this align and conflict? With job losses, how will child support change? There are no shortage of questions to be worked through and unless you have an emergency order, most of these issues will not be resolved in a courtroom. Mediation can be a good route to developing a plan that works for everyone. Putting your child(ren)’s needs first will ensure that they are less traumatized during this upset. Fill out a contact form today to book a mediation session where you can develop a COVID-19 parenting plan together.  The Boston Herald recently posted an article called ‘Custody Issues in a Time of Coronavirus’. A mother who works from home and has 3 school aged children is suddenly taking care of them full-time and asks their father to pay additional child support during this time as she cannot maintain full-time hours and is now caring for the children 24/7. Author Wendy Hickey offers great legal advice on how to approach the conversation, prepare documentation, and the legal path forward.
It seems this couple had a partial resolution for their parenting plan and failed to make it to the finish line. A quick session of mediation might have helped fill in the gaps and relieve a lot of stress for everyone in the future. If you have questions about what the future holds during this pandemic, schedule a session of mediation today. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2022
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed