Divorce is hard. Whether it’s been a long time coming or you felt blindsided by it, the road ahead is rocky. Getting to the other side of this major life shift won’t be easy, but it also doesn’t have to be so hard. The prevailing narrative about divorce is that your first move should be to “lawyer up” immediately. As a society, we tend to be litigious by nature. Oftentimes, couples that are splitting think the courts will solve all their problems. But down this road lies unnecessary stress. Working with a professional mediator to help settle your divorce is an excellent way to bypass some of the problems traditionally associated with divorce proceedings. There are a few key benefits to working with a mediator that you should consider if you haven’t already. It Saves You Time The actual process of putting anything through the court system is, as you probably know, lengthy. Very little happens quickly once court dates and judges are involved. Dragging out the finalization of your divorce can also have serious negative impacts on you and your family. Divorce is already very difficult on children, so allowing the process to dominate months and months of their lives can cause a lot of anxiety. As parents, your goal should be to make your divorce as painless as possible for your kids. No matter how angry you might be with their other parent, the needs of your child(ren) should come first. When you work with a mediator, you can avoid waiting for court dates and relying on your legal team to sort everything out for you. It’s a proactive approach that prioritizes the mental health of the entire family. Bring things to as expedient a close as possible is good for everyone! It Saves You Money Divorce isn’t cheap. Anyone who has gone through one can tell you that. Legal fees and retainers are big investments, and not every parent has the means to afford quality representation. This alone can cause friction between the former couple, as one of them will be seen to have an advantage over the other. Moving forward into your future after the divorce, financial stability and the ability to care properly for your child(ren) is incredibly important. If you spend everything you have on legal fees, you’re starting off this new chapter of your life already at a disadvantage. Working with a mediator is infinitely more cost-effective, as it allows you to spend the minimum on legal fees, since your lawyer won’t need to push every single aspect of your divorce through the court system. It Saves You Headache & Heartache It’s rare for someone to say they had a pleasant divorce. By its nature, the dissolution of a marriage is an emotionally charged situation. But you can work to find a place of peace that allows you to move forward in a less acrimonious manner. Working with a mediator, you’ll be supported by a professional whose job it is to find a path to compromise and as much harmony as possible. Their focus will be on the emotional wellbeing of the family as a whole, and they’ll help you contextualize disagreements and struggles with your former partner in a way that makes them manageable. They’ll give you actionable steps to take to resolve issues, and their first priority is maintaining a fair and level playing field. Beyond the emotional element, lawyers love having clients who work with mediators and divorce coaches. It allows them to focus on the legal aspects of the divorce rather than bearing the full burden of the emotional side of things. The symbiotic relationship between a good mediator and a good lawyer is a big key to having a swift, low-drama divorce. As you can see, working with a mediator to settle your divorce is incredibly beneficial. If you want to learn more about how a professional mediator can help you foster a more expedient, harmonious divorce process, we’d love to hear from you.