Getting divorced in South Carolina can be significantly easier, cheaper, and less stressful when you can convince your spouse to choose mediation over litigation. There are many ways you might be able to encourage your spouse to mediate your divorce, as our Charleston divorce lawyers will explain below.
Understand How Mediation Works
If you are going to try to encourage or convince your spouse to mediate your divorce, you will need to know your basic facts. You should learn more about how divorce mediation works under South Carolina law, and how mediation works more generally. You should also learn about the major benefits of divorce mediation so you can relay them to your spouse.
Mediation works like this: a neutral third party known as a mediator helps facilitate a conversation and negotiation between you and your spouse. The aim of divorce mediation is for you to resolve any disputes yourselves so that a judge does not have to decide them. Mediation is not like presenting your case to a judge. The mediator does not make a decision or rule on the case. Instead, the resolution is only final if you and your spouse agree to it.
Discuss the Possibility of Mediation at a Good Time
Only bring up mediation when communication is going well with your spouse. Do not raise the issue while you are having an argument.
Highlight the Benefits of Mediation for Your Spouse
It is always a good idea to highlight the benefits o divorce mediation for your spouse. There are many benefits to mediation, and knowing about the advantages can encourage your spouse to choose mediation to resolve issues in your divorce.
Mediation is much less expensive than litigation for your divorce. Since you will not have to present your case before a judge in court and will not have to have your lawyer prepare evidence and other materials, mediation costs less money than a traditional divorce that involves litigation.
Mediation also allows you to keep private matters private. In a traditional divorce where a judge decides issues, evidence and testimony might be available to the public. With mediation, anything discussed during the mediation process is private.
Mediation saves time. You will not have to wait for a court hearing date, and you may be able to get your divorce finalized much sooner.
Mediation can also help with communication. This is especially important for spouses that share children and will be co-parenting after the divorce. Many spouses learn communication techniques in their mediation session that they use later on when a dispute arises.
Point Your Spouse Helpful Online Resources
In learning more about divorce mediation, you have likely come across helpful resources that have taught you more about the process. Your spouse can benefit from reading these materials, too. You should point your spouse to any helpful online resources you have found that can provide additional information.
Contact a Charleston Divorce Attorney
Divorce mediation has multiple benefits and advantages, and there are many ways you might be able to encourage your spouse to mediate your divorce. Our Charleston divorce lawyers can provide you with more information about how to mediate your divorce in South Carolina. Contact The Peck Law Firm online or call us at (843) 631-7117 to speak with a lawyer about how we can mediate your divorce.
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