When you’re preparing for a divorce, one of the things you may need to prepare for is mediation. Many cases go through this form of resolution so that they can bypass the trial. This helps get the divorce finalized sooner and will likely be a bit less expensive. If you’re going to go through mediation, you need to ensure that you prepare for it.
One of the most important things to remember is that you need to leave room to negotiate with your ex. You can’t go into the sessions stating exactly what you want to walk away with. Instead, think carefully about what starting point you can use.
During the negotiations, you’ll work with a neutral third party. You can ask to speak to this person alone if it becomes necessary during the process. Good uses of this would be if you’re ex is starting to get out of line or if you see major issues with what’s happening.
It’s a good idea to discuss the strategy beforehand. You need to know exactly how your attorney wants to handle things so that you don’t go against any of it. An important strategy point to know is whether you’re going to work out the larger assets like the home first or if those will be left for last.
The goal of the mediation sessions is to work out a deal that has you set on the best footing possible for your future. You may not get exactly what you wanted but being able to look at things from a practical standpoint might be helpful.