How Long Will My Divorce Mediation Take?

Divorces can be long and drawn-out, especially when the parties have major conflicts to resolve. Hiring attorneys to battle it out in court can be an expensive and time-consuming proposition. Fortunately, divorce mediation is a cooperative and faster process. Here’s what you need to know about the divorce mediation timeline.

What’s the difference between mediation and litigation?

Most people are used to legal disputes being resolved in court, in front of a judge. That’s always an option for divorcing couples, but you could spend tens of thousands of dollars on attorney costs. This adversarial process often leaves judges in charge of the ultimate resolution.

In contrast, mediation is a cooperative process with a neutral third party. Together, you and your ex will work toward an equitable settlement to satisfy both parties. As a result, it’s often quicker and cheaper than litigation.

Factors affecting the divorce mediation timeline

There are certain factors which will determine just how long mediation takes. First, the more property you have, the longer it will take to sort through your financials. Similarly, if you have children, child custody issues can take longer than a simple divorce with no children or property to divide.

How willing you are to compromise will also make a huge difference. Adversarial spouses who argue over every point will take longer than spouses who take a cooperative approach.

Finally, mediation timelines depend on how many issues there are to work out with the mediator. For instance, you might walk into the session agreeing you’ll split all property 50/50—except for the house. Or you might be able to agree on custody, child support and visitation, but you can’t agree on how to divide the retirement accounts. The fewer issues you have, the faster it goes.

Mediation is usually the fastest and easiest solution to divorce. Talk to the trusted divorce mediators at Solutions Divorce Mediation in Long Island today.