The Important Difference Between an Uncontested Child Support Case with Mediation and a Contested One
Uncontested Divorce Mediation
Posted January 6, 2021
Divorce is hard on children universally, and it’s also hard on that child’s parents. It’s difficult in terms of the conflict it creates, and the extra fees that come about as a result. When it comes to the issue of child support payments, which is an important thing to figure out, there are definitely differences in outcomes and experience between the different ways of settling the issue. Here’s some information on how it all works out for each method.
Courtroom Divorce
The method that often happens the most is settling child support issues in court when you and your previous partner can’t decide how to settle the issue and have serious disagreements. It’s more likely to settle something for child support upfront when other issues have also been decided, like custody and visitation rights.
Those making payments are overwhelmingly men to the tune of 8 or 9 out of 10. All of this is to say that many men fight the process hard and you have to track them down to even get them to go to court.
Additionally, depending on what area you’re in and what court you need to use, some may even force your children to testify. This can be extremely difficult on your children and can certainly lead to psychological trauma depending on the situation.
On top of that, the costs for a contested court case often start at thousands of dollars, often averaging around $5,000 and going up to $20,000 or more depending on just how contested it becomes and how long it drags on.
Overall, contested courtroom divorces are not the best way to arrive at a fair figure for child support while minimizing the unpleasantness and cost of it all. Even just the court case itself can have permanent financial and psychological effects on all parties involved.
Uncontested Divorce with Divorce Mediation
When it comes to uncontested divorces, the costs are definitely much lower oftentimes. This is because you just have to pay the basic fees for everything rather than hiring lawyers to make cases over many months to fight outcomes.
If you chose to make the process even easier through professional Denver divorce mediation services that will help everyone reach the best mutual outcome, you can often get reduced rates from the courts, depending on where you are. In Florida, for example, this is often the case, and the rate is based on you and your former partner’s combined incomes.
Many issues are figured out through mediation including the following:
Support Payments
Exactly how much child support payments will be something that can be figured out between the two parties and their Denver divorce mediation partners. This includes figuring out if this is going to be arranged between the parties or whether you will just go with the statutes from the state where you reside, which would be through the Florida Statute in Florida, for example.
Insurance
Other issues related to support but not through pure cash may include who will help provide health insurance for the children. This could be provided through one or both parents through their job, for example. Other potential problems to figure out will often include who will pay for medical expenses that aren’t covered by insurance. It may also be important to figure out who will cover uncovered dental expenses as well.
The mediation can also cover who will cover expenses related to education. This could also be either shared or covered by an individual.
Some courts will potentially order you to attend Denver divorce mediation, but going through your own company service is often the best since you will be able to trust someone you chose that way.
The Importance of Child Support Outcomes
The stakes for getting child support figured out in as amicable a way as possible are extremely high. This is going to determine the financial future of yourself and your child. Child support payments will likely be a big part of how the added costs of raising a child will be covered for the foreseeable future.
The decisions made now will likely affect you and your children for many years to come, even decades, depending on how old they are. Denver divorce mediation experts have training in conflict resolution and experience in reaching amicable solutions in contentious situations such as with child support negotiations.
Doing this through mediation is often going to lead to far fewer conflicts than trying to make it through a contested court appearance that your children may relive in their heads for the rest of their lives even if they aren’t actually asked to testify themselves. They may remember the angry phone calls and the court decisions plenty instead.
The important thing is to find dDenver divorce mediation experts that are skilled with plenty of the right experience.
You’d be surprised about what’s possible to negotiate when you have a company with the right experience and certifications there to help. You can check the company’s certifications and reviews including if they are part of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators, specialty groups like the Mediation Association of Colorado, and whether they have a good rating at the Better Business Bureau. The best rating there is an A+, which indicates that they have transparent practices and that they settle any complaints or disputes themselves with a high degree of competence and effectiveness.
Getting Started
For more information about getting started with Denver divorce mediation services to ensure the best possible outcome in your child support case, you can Contact Split Simple today. The faster you contact us, the faster we can take a look at your case and start moving you forward towards the support payments you need and the settlement you want.
You can contact us through the chat support available on our website, or through the other contact options there like the available phone numbers. The choice you make right now is likely to have far-reaching implications on your future life, so it’s important to go with uncontested court divorce using Denver divorce mediation rather than the far less pleasant option of a contested divorce.
