Tips for Successful Florida Divorce Mediation
Have you decided to consider mediation for your Florida divorce? Mediation can be a successful tool in many types of legal matters, but you have to plan accordingly. Unfortunately, for some couples, mediation does not always work. Perhaps one spouse refuses to participate, is hiding assets, or wants to fight until the bitter end. Apart from issues like these, mediation can be a great tool for resolving outstanding issues in your divorce. Here are several tips to help make a Florida divorce mediation work for you.
Choose the Right Mediator
Choosing the right mediator plays a significant role in whether the mediation is successful or not. Some mediators have very different styles, and that doesn’t necessarily work for every couple. Perhaps you need a mediator who is great at handling complex financial situations, or maybe one who is great at diffusing high conflict and emotional divorces. If your divorce has special issues, you want a mediator who has experience handling those types of cases. The mediator needs to be able to guide you through the process, and without any experience in your particular area of conflict, mediation is likely to end without a successful result.
Do Your Homework and Be Prepared
While it’s your Florida divorce attorney’s job to handle many aspects of your contested divorce, it’s also important that you are prepared and ready for the mediation. You should speak with your attorney and understand what your obligations are during the session. If you have children, you should already be familiar with how child support will be calculated. Go over all your documents ahead of time.
If you need to have items appraised or talk to schools about new admits, have all that prep work done before the mediation date. Without proper preparation and the necessary documentation, it’s hard to achieve a successful outcome at mediation.
Keep Your Emotions in Check
This is one of the hardest elements of any mediation. You have to use some serious inner strength if your ex is sitting there trying to push your buttons and cause an emotional outburst. If you find yourself getting agitated or too emotional, ask to take a break. It’s better for everyone to step away for a few minutes and start over with a clear head.
Be Honest
Some people are inclined to not ask for what they really want, or they are intimidated to share details on their personal life. The only way a mediator can help you is if you are honest about what you want and need. If you have items that are non-negotiable, let him or her know that up front. Maybe your ex doesn’t want those anyway, or maybe there is an alternate solution where you give up something your ex is demanding that you are willing to let go of in exchange for your highest priority requests. The more you can plan ahead and be honest with yourself about what you really need from this divorce, the easier mediation is likely to go.
Contact a Florida Divorce Attorney
If you are preparing for a divorce, or have been served with a divorce petition, it’s important to speak with a Boca Raton contested divorce attorney who can help. Contact the Law Offices of Schwartz | White today to schedule an initial consultation.
