Deciding to get a divorce is not an easy thing to do. It is one of the toughest decisions you will ever make. But once you’ve made up your mind, you will need a plan to smoothly transition onto the next phase of your life. And a divorce mediation lawyer can help you to do just that.
The main aim of mediation is to get to an agreement that works for both you and your partner without having to spend a lot of time and money in court. If you are in Ottawa, AGB Lawyers divorce mediation attorneys can help you and your partner to reach an amicable agreement quickly and efficiently.
If you are interested in hiring a divorce mediation lawyer or law firm, below are some tips that can help you to prepare and make the mediation process a success:
- Agree to the mediation process
This is the most important thing; both parties should want to be present. Remember that divorce mediation is usually voluntary and the only way you can agree on certain things is to, first of all, agree to take part in the process wholeheartedly.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you and your partner have to be the best of friends. It, however, requires both you and your partner to be ready to hold meaningful conversations about the divorce.
- Create a list
Once you’ve both agreed to the process, you will need to organize yourselves. One of the most important things people who want to divorce have to agree on during mediation is the division of assets and liabilities. To make sure that everything is covered, you should jointly create a list containing all your possessions, assets, and liabilities. This list should feature all personal property (e.g. jewelry, artwork, and books), real property (e.g. homes, rental properties), vehicles (e.g. ATCs, boats), bank accounts, and credit cards. Ensure everything is on the list.
You will also want to collect records for all available income sources such as pension disbursements, pay stubs, social security, and self-employment loss and profit statements just to mention a few. Note that creating a list makes it easy for the mediator to help you in figuring out what exactly to do with what you have.
- Set goals
Now that you have created a list of what you guys have, the next step is to determine what you want to get out of it. This is the part where you will have to decide what you can and can’t live without.
Similar to traditional negotiations, you will have to establish your acceptable terms ranging from the things you hope to keep and those that you are not willing to give away. You and your partner should obviously set your goals separately.
- Consider your children
Unfortunately, divorce is always hard on the kids. You could, however, help your kids cope by reducing the negative effect.
Despite your kid’s ages, communicating with them about what is happening is very important. Children are very smart, and they most probably already know that something is up. They, nonetheless, should hear from both their parents that everything is going to be okay and that you will both continue to support and love them.
Keep in mind that even though your marriage is coming to an end, your role as parents isn’t.
- Conduct proper research before hiring a mediator
Not everyone who presents themselves as a mediator has been trained in mediation. Therefore, you need to carry out thorough research before finally settling on a mediator. I hope you will find the above tips to be useful in helping you prepare for divorce mediation and divorce.
