An alternative to going to trial is to participate in mediation, which is the most common form of alternative dispute resolution. Mediation is the voluntary process of having a trained neutral party help reach an agreement on the issues that need to be resolved in a divorce, such as child support, spousal maintenance, real and personal property.
Mediators do not give out legal advice or make decisions for either party, but rather use their skills to guide the parties toward an agreement. The mediation process can be done with or without each parties’ attorney being present; however, most parties prefer to have their attorney present to advise them on the law.
Mediation is effective and advantageous in that it is much more cost effective than litigating a divorce case and affords parties the opportunity to control the outcome of their case.