You and your spouse have been fighting almost daily. As a result, you’ve decided to move forward with your divorce. You know it’s for the best, but it is also frustrating to you that you can’t seem to communicate with your spouse without arguments. After all, there are a lot of details to work out.
One thing that may be of help to you is mediation. Mediation is not designed to help couples work through issues and stay together. Instead, divorce mediation aims to help you separate more amicably. It’s designed to keep your conversations on point and to prevent breakdowns in communication.
When you can’t stop arguing, a mediator could help
Consider this scenario. You and your spouse sit down to talk about dividing your assets. When you breach the topic of your home, they get upset, shut down and walk away. They don’t want to listen to what you’re saying. They may not even fully understand what you are asking or want.
In this scenario, a mediator could be very helpful. A mediator can give you both breaks when conversations start to get off track. They can also guide you through the difficult parts of your negotiations. Additionally, many people don’t lash out or become as aggressive when a third party is present, simply out of habit — so that can help you and your spouse remain civil.
Having a neutral party there during your discussions is beneficial. They may be able to coax out a conversation without the breakdown in communication that you’ve been struggling with in the past. You can also bring your attorneys, so they can draw up paperwork for any solutions you and your spouse agree to immediately.
Not everyone’s situation is the same, and mediation doesn’t work for every couple. However, if you want to avoid divorce court and can agree to try to work together, then it’s worth trying.