Not every divorce needs to be fought tooth and nail. If you and your spouse agree that a divorce is in your best interests and you retain enough mutual respect to work cooperatively, you may be able to reach a mediated settlement of your divorce issues. Under the trustworthy guidance of an experienced attorney from Kirshenbaum Law Associates, Inc. in Cranston, Rhode Island, you can resolve matters related to alimony, child custody, child support and property division, so you don’t have to go to trial on these issues. You simply present your settlement agreement for the court’s approval and the judge grants an uncontested divorce. Of course, even a mediated solution can run into complications. But when you retain our firm for your mediation, you get a proven attorney who is determined to save you time, money and stress while delivering mutually beneficial results.
The divorce mediation process in Rhode Island is entirely voluntary and is certainly not for everyone. Participating parties must be respectful of each other and work cooperatively to achieve a resolution they can both live with. If there is a history of domestic violence, intimidation or substance abuse that has eroded trust, mediation probably won’t work. But couples who are determined to move forward in a positive manner can generally resolve many, if not all of their issues under the guidance of an experienced mediator.
The mediator acts as a neutral third party who listens to both sides and guides the discussion toward a reasonable compromise. The mediator does not take sides or represent one party or the other. Both parties should have their own attorneys to advise them during the course of the mediation, although the attorneys are not present at mediation. At our law firm, our attorneys perform as mediators, and we also counsel clients who are engaged in mediations outside our office.
The mediator conducts sessions where the parties discuss their desires and goals relative to a particular topic, such as child custody. The mediator presents questions for them to consider and assists in drafting a parenting plan that accomplishes their objectives. Over the course of several sessions, the parties grapple with other issues until they reach a complete settlement or an impasse.
If the parties have a complete settlement, they present it to the judge who approves and makes the settlement the basis of the court order dissolving the marriage. If the parties only reach a partial settlement, that agreement goes to the judge and the remaining issues must be litigated. In this way, mediation can be productive even when it is not entirely successful.
Divorce is often a difficult and emotionally draining process, but mediation can make it much easier. The advantages to divorce mediation include:
For these reasons and more, divorce mediation is the right choice for many divorcing couples.
At Kirshenbaum Law Associates, Inc. in Cranston, Rhode Island, our divorce mediation attorneys are committed to providing exceptional service leading to optimal results. To learn more about how we can help with your divorce mediation, contact us online or call 401-467-5300 today.