Divorce Mediation-How Much Can It Really Save Your Family?

By: Vivian Rodriguez
Submitted: 2008-06-25 13:38:03
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Although it may sound strange to talk about saving the family’s money in the context of a divorce, this is actually a very useful way to compare a key benefit of mediation over the cost of litigation. That’s because mediation costs less than separate legal fees for you and your spouse in the event of a divorce.

The cost of a litigated divorce for you will depend on the fees charged by family attorneys in your area. However, common estimates range from between $20,000.00 to $25,000.00.

In comparison, the cost of mediation for a divorce can range from between $5,000.00 to $7,000.00.

Obviously, the less you and your spouse spend fighting each other, the more you and your spouse will have left over to start fresh. If there are children involved, that’s more resources for each of you to spend on providing a better or more secure future for them.

The savings of using mediation to resolve your divorce come, in part, from the fact that you and your spouse work together to resolve any problems you may have. In litigation, on the other hand, the parties are more often busy fighting each other rather than working to resolve the issue.

Moreover, in litigation, you and your spouse will be using your respective lawyer’s time to fight each other. In mediation, you and your spouse will be spending your own time. And while that time is valuable, it is also easier for you to control.

One of the many hidden costs of litigation is the opportunity cost. Even if your employer pays for some personal time off or vacations, time that you take off from work in connection with your litigated divorce—attending hearings, depositions, meeting with your attorney, etc. —is time you will not be able to spend with your children, on vacation, or pursuing any other activity you may find more enjoyable.

There are obviously other hidden costs in litigation related to the parties’ or the children’s wellbeing, but seeing the hard costs alone is a good starting point in looking for alternative means to resolve your divorce.

© 2008 Vivian C. Rodriguez

Vivian Rodriguez helps parties in family disputes workout creative solutions to lessen the emotional and financial impact of expensive and long litigation. She is an attorney and Florida Supreme Court-certified family mediator offering dispute resolution services in Florida. For more information on mediation in family disputes, even before you start the legal process, visit www.fldivorcemediation.com.

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