Your marriage didn’t work out, but that doesn’t mean your divorce has to be contentious. Many spouses discover that mediation is the right choice for them. At Freed Marcroft, we are both experienced divorce attorneys and trained mediators. We can help you reach an out-of-court resolution and transition to your new life.
In mediation, divorcing couples meet with a neutral mediator who guides their conversation and helps them engage in a constructive dialog. While your Freed Marcroft mediator is a lawyer with extensive divorce experience, your mediator does not act as your attorney or advocate. Instead, the mediator helps spouses brainstorm and reach mutually beneficial agreements. Your mediator can provide legal information. Mediation is private, and legal fees may be lower than in a litigated divorce. With the help of your experienced Connecticut mediation lawyer, you can come to an agreement and prepare for your next chapter.
MEDIATION BENEFITS
Many clients choose mediation due to the numerous benefits. With the help of a trained Connecticut divorce mediator, mediation can be:
- Private
- Specific to your case
- Less formal than legal proceedings
- Less stressful
- Less contentious
- More affordable
- Faster than litigation
- Completed virtually
- Reduce Post Judgment litigation
MEDIATION BASICS
Mediation takes place in an informal and private setting, including virtually, allowing the spouses to candidly confront their issues without formal court procedure or public disclosure of private family matters. Your Connecticut mediation lawyers will have experience in conflict resolution, divorce law, and divorce settlements. The mediator does not have authority over the proceedings and will not force either spouse to accept an agreement. Instead, the mediator uses conflict resolution skills and strategies to help both sides move toward an equitable resolution. As your mediator, we cannot make a ruling or offer legal advice, but we can provide legal information. You and your spouse are each encouraged to have your own consulting attorney review the agreements you reach in your mediation and advise you (this is called review counsel). Your mediator may also recommend you involve neutral financial or child specialists to help you reach resolutions. Then, together with your mediator, you’ll finalize the agreement and file it with the courts.
MEDIATION IN CONNECTICUT
Mediation allows both spouses to retain control during the divorce. Spouses do not have to sign off on anything they don’t agree with, so they are more likely to get their needs met. Insights from the attorney mediator and the mediation process also allows the two spouses to be creative when determining resolutions. Instead of following specific formulas, the two spouses can negotiate a resolution that makes the most sense for their family. When the process is complete, the mediator creates a document that outlines the agreement. Mediation affords more control over both the outcome and the process than litigated divorce. In divorce litigation, if spouses can’t reach out of court settlements, the judge has the final say instead of the divorcing couple. Those who want to maintain a level of control and privacy can choose this non-adversarial divorce option.
AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR MEDIATION?
Freed Marcroft’s attorneys handle divorces via all three approaches: mediation, litigation, and collaborative law. Your Freed Marcroft legal team will help you understand the pros and cons of all three so that you can choose the approach that’s the right fit for you and your family. For example, spouses’ willingness to communicate, move forward, and openly share financial information are critical components of mediation.
Freed Marcroft’s legal team has extensive experience in all divorce options because what is most important to us is designing a divorce individualized to you, your goals, and your family. We call our initial consultation the Goals & Planning Conference, because it’s all about your future. That way, your divorce attorney is set up to design a legal strategy to get you on to living the life that you want to live.
