In Alabama, you have the option of getting a no-fault divorce. However, if you and your spouse don’t seem to agree on matters or have a legal dispute, the divorce could become a contested divorce. You have two options – either to resolve all issues with your spouse amicably and opt for Alternative Dispute Resolution, or you could go to court. Alternative Dispute Resolution includes divorce mediation and negotiation. During the divorce mediation process, both spouses will work with a third party who will be neutral to them and help them reach an agreement. Before you decide on any aspect, consider talking to a reliable lawyer from The Harris Firm, who can guide you better.
In this post, let’s discuss divorce mediation in detail.
The basics
It is important to understand that divorce mediation is about both parties. Both spouses need to agree on mediation and must be willing to negotiate with an attitude of resolving problems. Once there is an agreement, the parties, along with their lawyers, will meet the mediator, who would work as a neutral and unbiased third party. The mediator will listen to the objectives of both parties and try to find solutions that would be close to the goals.
What happens during the divorce mediation process?
If the parties agree to the solutions suggested by the mediator, they will get a marital settlement agreement with the negotiated terms. One of the spouses can file the Divorce Petition and the agreement with the Circuit Court, and the judge will eventually grant the divorce, typically after a waiting period of 30 days. If there is no way that the spouses would agree to each other, they can file a Divorce Petition, which will eventually end in court, and the divorce would be contested.
Get an attorney
Divorces are complicated and often very expensive, and mediation allows you to work with your spouse and a mediator to discuss the solutions. Your lawyer would be on your side during the entire process, ensuring that you don’t settle for less. They are your advocate even in the mediation process, and no matter how long it takes, you can continue to meet the mediator. A contested divorce could be way more complicated than you think, and besides the stress, you will have to shell more for your attorney.
Talk to your lawyer about divorce mediation and check if you can get your spouse to agree to the same to resolve issues amicably.
