Colorado Springs Divorce Mediation Lawyer

No, mediation is a voluntary part of the divorce process, but it is often in your best interest to pursue this option if possible. Mediation can save time, money, and drama, as well as set a great example for your children by showing that you and their other parent can still work collaboratively and have a productive relationship despite your marriage ending. When conducted effectively, with both parties negotiating in good faith, mediation can allow you, your ex, and your minor children to get your familial resources divided as quickly as possible and focus on moving forward with your exciting new lives.

Divorce mediation is a simple concept. Rather than hash out all the details of your divorce in a courtroom with separate attorneys, mediation involves you and your ex (or your individual legal representation, if desired) sitting down with a neutral third-party attorney to work out the details in private before the case goes to a courtroom. Mediation is a powerful and legally binding tool, but it can also be conducted more informally than a courtroom hearing, so the exact steps may look different depending on whom you hire as a mediator and what their individual mediation style is.

Like any other legal service, the total cost of divorce mediation will vary based on several factors. Since most attorneys charge by the hour, perhaps the single most important factor is the amount of time required at the bargaining table for you and your spouse to come to agreements on key issues. The quality of the law firm you choose to handle your mediation will also certainly play a role in total cost, as will the market conditions for legal help in your city. Adequate divorce mediators will often cost $250 per hour and up, depending on the details of the case, but this can still represent large savings over a divorce conducted entirely in court.

For some couples going through particularly contentious separations, a downside to mediation can be the fact that you must work collaboratively with your ex to hash out agreements. For most couples who can sit down and do mediation, however, there are very few downsides. Mediated divorces in Colorado tend to be cheaper, faster, and more civil than those fought in a courtroom. Bad attitudes are typically one of the biggest barriers to mediation, so as long as both spouses are on board, mediation offers tons of upside and very little downside by allowing a trained family law professional to help you with sensitive issues like child custody agreements and the division of marital property. One potential downside to mediation can be the mediator showing favoritism to one party or the other, but this can be easily avoided by working with a reputable law firm that maintains a sterling reputation in the Commerce City community, such as Johnson Law Group.