Separation or Divorce in Maryland – Five Reasons to Mediate

Monday, March 22, 2010

If your family is facing the challenge of separation or divorce in Maryland, be pro-active in your search for the right professional services to guide you through this difficult process.

Separation and divorce mediation offers you the opportunity to negotiate on a level playing field, at greatly reduced costs and conflict, quicker resolution, and an agreement process that you control.

1. Neutrality:

   The separation and divorce mediation professional is a neutral third party trained in dispute resolution, experienced in guiding both parties through a process of listening, identifying issues, exploring options and coming to a mutually agreeable solution. There are no ‘sides’ here, the mediator works for both of you; our sole objective is to help both parties find their solution. For the fearful and the fragile the neutral mediator provides a comfortable and balanced negotiation environment.

2. Cost Effective/Efficient:

   Battling attorneys chalk up enormous legal fees which devour financial resources. Separation and divorce mediation achieves your goals at a fraction of the cost of negotiating through adversarial attorneys. The separation and divorce mediation process is smoother and faster than the traditional attorney-driven divorce process.

3. Non-Confrontational:

   Traditional attorney-driven divorce negotiations and litigation are often conducted in an ugly environment of threats and confrontation. Does this help anyone? Not you and certainly not your children. In contrast, separation and divorce mediators focus on problem-solving, not fighting. Separation and divorce mediators are trained to diffuse the anger at each step of this traumatic process. Why escalate the existing fear and anger in these matters? Negotiating a separation or property settlement agreement is an important step in your new life, with far-reaching consequences for you and your children. You need to keep a rational head. That’s what separation and divorce mediators do, at a lower cost – emotionally and financially.

4. Guide/Liaison:

   Your separation and divorce mediation professional can guide you to other professionals who may prove helpful during this process. These include real estate agents, appraisers, divorce financial planners and mediation-friendly lawyers who will review the neutrally drafted Separation / Marital Property Settlement Agreement.

5. Efficiency/Control:

   The separation and divorce mediation process is significantly smoother and faster than the traditional divorce process. There are no endless court battles, no imposed directives. YOU control the decisions affecting your family, money and life; you never give up control to strangers or find yourself at the mercy of a judge or other outsider. If your separation and divorce mediation professional is also an attorney, that attorney-mediator, having the best grasp on the issues involved, is able to draft a Separation / Marital Property Settlement Agreement that both parties find acceptable. The separation and divorce mediation is finished only when both of you are completely comfortable with your agreement.

Don’t take the chance that you will “lose” important issues in court. Don’t waste your money fighting, use it to help rebuild your life. Begin the process with a separation and divorce mediation professional that will set you on the logical, practical, reasonable, fair and efficient path to resolution – your divorce mediation lawyer in Maryland.