Protecting Your Rights During Divorce Mediation
As you go through the mediation process, it’s important for you to be mindful of your rights. Even though mediation is meant to be less adversarial, there’s still a possibility your spouse could try to take advantage of you, or infringe upon your rights.
The best way to protect your rights is to work with an experienced attorney who will be able to represent you in the mediation process and help guide you through the conversations it will entail. Some of the ways in which an attorney can assist in mediation include:
- Advising you about your rights in the mediation process and the responsibilities you have
- Suggesting strategies you can employ in your divorce process to ensure the best possible outcome
- Drafting or reviewing documentation and submitting it through the proper channels
- Helping you negotiate fair outcomes for child support, spousal support, child custody and property distribution
Your attorney may attend your mediation sessions with you. Keep in mind that it will cost more to have attorneys with you—you might not necessarily have your attorney with you at every session depending on the topics of conversation, especially if you and your spouse have already worked out a general agreement for a topic of discussion that day. But if you have any concerns about being taken advantage of, you should absolutely bring your attorney with you to your sessions.
Finally, make sure you do plenty of research about mediation and your rights before entering a session. There is plenty of helpful information available online, but it’s in your best interest to have a thorough conversation with your attorney as well so they can provide you with some specific advice tailored to your case.
For more information, contact a trusted Long Island divorce lawyer at Solutions Divorce Mediation.