Getting What Is Rightfully Yours

How To Get Ready For Your Upcoming Divorce Mediation

12 October 2020

Estelle Mathieu

Are you going through a divorce and getting ready to start mediation? The goals of mediation are to reach an outcome to the divorce that both people can agree to and to avoid going to the courtroom to have a judge make a decision for you. Here are a few tips that will help you prepare for this part of the divorce process. 

Set Realistic Expectations 

One problem that people run into when getting a divorce is thinking that they are going to get everything that they want out of the settlement. The truth is that you will need to make compromises with your spouse if you want to settle in mediation. Start setting realistic expectations for yourself to keep your emotions in check. This includes thinking about what things you are willing to concede in order to get what you really want the most and realizing what things you are not likely to get.

List Your You And Your Spouse's Potential Expectations

It is a good idea to make a list of the outcomes that you desire as your goal to work towards. Keep those outcomes in mind during meditation, and use it as a decision making guide to get what you want most. In addition, there are likely things that you know your spouse is going to want out of the divorce, and you probably have a good idea of what they are. You'll also want to list these potential expectations so that you can keep things in perspective as you go into mediation. It helps prevent you from getting caught off guard about issues that have yet to come up and can help you negotiate for things that you want. 

List Issues That Are Easy And Tough To Settle

Chances are high that there are a lot of things that you and your spouse do agree on in terms of the divorce settlement. It is a good idea to list those things that you think will be easy to settle in mediation so that you can move on to more important issues. Settling easy things first in mediation will also set a good tone for the process and not make it feel like you are not getting anywhere. On the flip side, you should also list the things that will be particularly hard to settle. This can include custody, what happens with the house, and dividing retirement accounts. You'll want to have those things in mind as you continue to negotiate in mediation.

To learn more about family mediation, contact a lawyer.

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