People in Massachusetts know that divorce is a fact of life. It may not happen to everyone, but odds are that someone close has been through a divorce at one point or another in their lifetime. Divorce can be a defining thing in a person’s life, and how it is handled could be indicative of their future relationship with their ex-spouse and other important people.

People who want to get a divorce on their own terms might be intrigued by the process of divorce mediation. Instead of going to court as the first option and enduring all the trials and tribulations that make divorce proceedings the stuff of urban legend, people who are seeking a faster, less adversarial method might consider divorce mediation.

In mediation, both parties have to agree not to litigate in court, which means that they start off committed to working things out on their own terms and without the mandate of a judge. This allows each party to work together to hammer out settlement details at their own pace, and they may even choose to share experts and consultants to facilitate the process. Not only can this save money and time, it can help ex-spouses foster a better relationship moving forward.

The desire to have an amicable split is one of the major reasons people choose mediation over litigation, especially for divorcing couples with children. Parents that know they will have to interact with an ex at future events, perhaps even on a regular basis, might take this into account when considering their decorum during a divorce. The negative effects of divorce on children is well-documented, and minimizing the stress on children, and everyone involved, might be reason enough to give divorce mediation a shot.

Source: WLTX, “Collaborative Divorce Offers Options To Court Battles,” Maura Ammenheuser, March 21, 2013.