Florida divorces can end up in court when spouses don’t agree on the major details. You have to determine how to split your property with your ex. If you have minor children together, there will also be custody and support issues to negotiate.
Many couples, still embroiled in the intense emotions of their divorce, cannot resolve these issues on their own. They wind up going to court to litigate their divorce. Litigation involves presenting evidence to a judge and then allowing that judge to interpret state law and enter an order about property division, support and time-sharing matters for children.
Before you turn to litigation, you may want to consider mediation instead. There are numerous potential benefits to trying divorce mediation rather than immediately planning on litigation.
Mediation lets you have the final say
Perhaps one of the hardest parts about divorce is the requirement that you let a judge make all of these important decisions for your family. You won’t know who gets to keep the house or how you share parenting time until they enter their final ruling.
If you decide to try divorce mediation, you and your ex can potentially make all of those decisions for yourself. As long as you are willing to cooperate with one another and compromise when necessary, you can settle everything and have control over those final decisions.
Mediation protects your privacy
Divorce court often requires that couples testify about the worst parts of their marriage, whether they endured physical abuse or lived with a compulsive shopper who lied about their spending habits all the time. Once you expose that information in court, it may become a permanent part of the public record.
In mediation, you have the protection of confidentiality. You and your spouse can hash out the most embarrassing and intense situations if they have a bearing on your settlement without any concern that these matters will become part of the public record.
Mediation might reduce your costs
You already have to pay for your own lawyers and court time. The idea of incurring another expense by hiring a mediator may seem wasteful. However, the money spent on a mediator is an investment that might ultimately reduce what you pay for your divorce.
If you settle things successfully in mediation, you won’t need to litigate matters in your divorce and can therefore minimize your court costs. Despite the extra expense, mediation is often a more cost-effective solution than litigation.
Learning about different ways to handle your divorce can help you employ the best approach given the situation.