Why You Need A Lawyer Even When Using Mediation Services To Get A Divorce

Divorce mediation offers couples the opportunity to minimize stress and fighting throughout the divorce process. Typically facilitated by an unbiased third-party representative, mediation makes it possible to focus more on your shared interests than on your personal ones. But mediation doesn't always go smoothly, so it's important to make sure that you have an experienced lawyer by your side throughout the process. Here's why:

Hash Out the Differences

There may be some topics of interest that you and your partner can't agree on while separating, and you'll need a representative to help keep your interests in focus as you hash our your differences. An experienced divorce attorney will back you up when you feel strongly about something, and help ensure that your concerns don't get overlooked during the mediation process for any reason. And you'll have an expert to rely on when you have questions about how to proceed when it comes to compromising.

Negotiate Child Custody

Agreeing on who gets custody of the kids can be one of the most sensitive topics to work out during a divorce. Sometimes actions are taken in spite, or decisions are made in the heat of the moment that aren't in the best interest of the kids or the parents overall. And sometimes, parents simply don't want to give up any custody rights because they can't stand the thought of being separated from their kids for any amount of time.

But the bottom line is that a decision will have to be ultimately made about where your kids will live full time, and how much time the non-custodial parent will have the right to spend with them. A lawyer can help keep things in perspective and negotiate on your behalf if a compromise can't be made between you and your partner.

Be Prepared for Court

In case mediation fails, you may have to go to court to hash out some issues that you and your partner are not able to agree on. Having a lawyer by your side from the start of mediation will help ensure that you're fully prepared to go to court if the need arises. Your attorney will have first-hand knowledge about what went on during mediation, and will have had ample time to build a case that best represents you in court.

Schedule a consultation with an experienced divorce attorney to learn more about how they can support your throughout the mediation process and beyond.  

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