We are the first to praise divorce mediation as an alternative to litigation, but we have to admit that it’s not always the right method of dispute resolution. Mediation just does not work for all couples. If you’re curious about whether this is a good way for you and your spouse to settle your differences, our Dallas County divorce mediators can give you an honest assessment of how useful this process could be to you.

What Can Make Couples a Bad Fit for Divorce Mediation?

In some cases, the personalities of the people involved or the dynamics of a relationship make it more difficult for divorce mediation sessions to be productive. It can be hard for couples to come to fair agreements if:

  • There is a big power imbalance between the spouses
  • There is a history of domestic abuse
  • One or both spouses will not approach negotiations in good faith
  • One or both spouses tries to hide assets or withhold other relevant information

In situations like these, a divorcing couple is going to struggle to come together and make fair agreements about heated topics like property division or child custody.

What Are Some Advantages of Divorce Mediation?

When divorce mediation works, it can be one of the best ways to settle most of the matters relating to the dissolution of your marriage. Mediation can:

Be faster: Going to court to solve every problem in your divorce is going to take a long time. You need to wait for space to free up on a family court judge’s docket, and then you need to go through hearings and jump through all kinds of legal hoops to finalize any agreements made. Divorce mediation is often much faster than litigation.

Cost less money: Litigation is not just time-consuming. It’s also expensive. Choosing mediation can save you a lot of time.

Offer confidentiality: If you go to court, there will be court records that can be looked up by anyone. Mediation does not create such records, making it far more confidential.

Give both parties more control: When you and your spouse work together on a divorce agreement, you both have more control over the outcome. If you go to court, a judge decides what happens and it’s possible that neither of you will like the deal you get.

Help improve your post-divorce relationship: When you work together during your sessions, you’re working on crucial communication skills that you’ll need to navigate your post-divorce relationship. This is especially important for couples who will need to co-parent.

What Does a Mediator Do?

A mediator from our firm can guide you and your spouse through the important issues and help you come to agreements on topics like alimony, child custody, and more. The goal here is to encourage conversation and help couples find common ground.

When a couple is not well-suited to mediation, going to court may be the only option. If this describes your situation, don’t worry. Our lawyers are ready to fight for you in court too.

Talk to Our Team Today

Whether you want to ask about divorce mediation or you need a fierce advocate by your side for litigation, we want to hear from you. Contact Iowa Defenders, PLLC and schedule a consultation with our legal team. We look forward to meeting with you.