Mediation is a great alternative to completing a divorce proceeding without having to attend court, however it is not right for all people and their situations. Below is a list of reasons why mediation may not be right for you:
- One or both parties have unrealistic expectations: It takes two people to negotiate in mediation, if one or both parties are expecting impractical outcomes with property division or child custody, mediation will only be an added expense and frustration to the divorce process.
- One party is a negligent parent and/or abusive spouse: If your spouse is a danger to you or your child, mediation to compromise and find middle-ground is not going to be right for you and/or your child(ren). You need to have an attorney there in court to have your best interests in mind and fight for yours and/or your children’s safety.
- High conflict: If you are involved in a divorce case where there is extreme conflict and/or such animosity that one or both parties wish to inflict pain on the other, the case is not yet at a point that mediation would be effective.
- Your spouse lacks good faith: If you have a spouse that will attempt to hide a substantial asset or take some other dishonest action, mediation may not be fruitful in your efforts to fairly settle the divorce.
- Your spouse has a belligerent attorney: Unfortunately, there are attorneys out there who will aggressively attempt to dissuade their client to participate in mediation and instead try to lure them to court in order to try to tear apart their soon to be ex-spouse. Having an angry spouse who hires an attorney with this attitude can put you at a high risk for spending more time and money on the entire divorce process by spending unproductive time trying to reason with the other side.
If you are contemplating divorce, or have already begun the process, and you would like to have sound legal representation in order to guide you through the process as efficiently as possibly, contact Ken Wasche today at 763-280-5100.