Your divorce does not have to be a long, nasty, bitter battle between you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse. But unfortunately, that is how far too many litigated divorces end. Especially when minor children are involved, the parents owe it to their kids to end things on as positive a note as possible in order to preserve their future co-parenting relationship as much as is possible.
Some couples remain resistant to mediation, however. They may tend to resist because they believe one or more of the following myths about divorce mediation:
Mediation is a form of marital counseling
At no point during the mediation process will any professional urge you to remain in your marriage. That is never the purpose of mediation. The goal is to disentangle you from your marriage in the most painless way possible.
You’ll never agree on anything with your ex
That’s likely not entirely true. If you have children, both of you want the best for them. Mediation can help you achieve that. If you hit a particularly sore spot, it’s fine to take a time-out and even retreat to separate rooms until both of you cool off and can resume negotiations.
You can take your ex to the cleaners
Michigan is a state with equitable property division laws. Whether the two of you civilly hash out who gets what or the courts make the determination, neither of you is going to walk away with the lion’s share of the marital assets.
Save money (and your sanity) and try mediation
Don’t start off your divorce with the nuclear option of litigation. Savvy couples agree to try mediation to save costs and preserve their co-parenting relationships. Don’t you deserve a better option, too?