When is the Right Time to Contact a Divorce Mediator in Denver?
Uncontested Divorce Mediation
Posted March 10, 2021
Getting divorced is never as fast as it looks in the movies. The process has a lot more paperwork, compromise, and waiting than most people expect. You also have more options than the adversarial divorces popularized in dramas. Spouses often separate in agreement about how to move forward, and while you may need one legal professional to shape and draft the divorce, you don’t actually need two.
Denver divorce mediation is a popular choice for couples who know what they want from their divorce. A divorce mediation process involves both parties meeting with a neutral mediator. They work together to hear both sides and suggest functional compromises. They advise on the smartest ways to split your assets for mutual survival and low-hassle separation. Your mediator can help build a lifestyle-adapted custody plan and ensure that the terms of your divorce promote survival and growth for both parties after separation. As a legal professional, they will lastly ensure your divorce is legal, properly written, and submitted for assured approval by the court.
But when should you reach out to a divorce mediator? There are many examples of “when to call a lawyer”, but when should you get in contact with a mediator? Every divorce is unique, so the right time will depend on where you are in your divorce and how a mediator can help.
When You Have Decided to Divorce
Many people reach out to divorce lawyers early in their process. It’s also a good idea to talk to a financial advisor about your financial options if you divorce. Denver divorce mediation, however, starts when you’re ready to come to the table. You can call for a consultation early or late in your process, but the mediation starts when both parties arrive to talk about terms.
In many ways, divorce mediation is a streamlined method of divorcing, skipping much of the ‘messy stuff’ in the middle. As soon as you and your spouse have decided to divorce, the next step can be reaching out to your divorce mediator. Your mediator will help you prepare paperwork, solidify what both parties agree on, then come to the table ready to hash out the final details into a well-built divorce agreement.
Instead of Retaining a Divorce Lawyer
About the time you might otherwise hire a divorce lawyer, you can contact Denver divorce mediators instead. With the traditional approach, you are required by legal ethics to have two separate divorce lawyers, each obligated to vehemently defend their client. This creates slow, hostile divorces. Mediation is an alternate approach where the mediator represents both clients equally and is ethically required to make fair and legal suggestions.
Instead of hiring two ethically vehement divorce lawyers, you can hire one mediator whose goal is to streamline fair negotiations and draft your final terms for submission to the court.
When Your Ex is On-Board
The ideal time to call your divorce mediator is when your soon-to-be-ex spouse is ready to join the discussion.
Many divorces open with hostilities and refusals to be cooperative. Over time, however, practicality usually wins out. If you and your spouse don’t want to spend too much on the divorce and don’t really want the drama of a courtroom divorce, they will eventually be ready to talk. When that happens, it’s time to mediate.
Your divorce mediator is prepared for a few (or many) disagreements. Denver divorce mediation is all about hearing both sides and trying to find the best middle-ground. Even if you don’t agree on the terms yet, being ready to work together in mediation meetings is the first step to a successful uncontested divorce.
After Having Lawyers Didn’t Work Out
Not all divorces are successful on the first try. You may have tried the traditional two-lawyer adversarial approach and it’s not working for you. The cost may have become too high. The conflict stirred up by ethical vehemence may have been too much. You may not have ultimately agreed with your lawyer’s approach.
If a previous swing at divorce didn’t work, divorce mediation is a great fallback. You already have some perspective on the terms you want and possible compromises. Your spouse may be equally exhausted from your previous experience and willing to negotiate with a mediator. A mediator can also step in where lawyers left off to advise solid mutual terms and draft a court-ready document.
After Your DIY Divorce was Rejected by the Court
Many couples try DIY divorce. It seems pretty approachable with printable templates to start with but divorce is not as easy as it sounds. DIY divorce documents are frequently rejected for being incomplete or even containing terms that are not legally enforceable. Without legal experience and knowledge of detailed divorce laws (and related laws that touch on asset division), the likelihood of DIY divorce mistakes is unpleasantly high.
Mediation is the next best option for a pair who already know what they want from the divorce. You have already done your research and balanced your assets. The rest is a matter of putting your desired terms into a court-ready document and possibly fine-tuning a few terms for a better fit or greater benefits. A Denver divorce mediator will help you maintain all the freedom of a DIY divorce with all the benefit of a legal and financial advisor.
When You Can’t Reach an Agreement Without Mediation
Finally, there are spouses who simply can’t find common ground. If you feel one way very strongly, and they want the opposite, it can be tough to reach any agreements. In these situations, a divorce mediator act as common ground. The mediation is a neutral process that is ethically mandated to be fair. The mediator works for both spouses and, therefore, will try to forge an agreement that harms neither.
Your mediator will listen carefully to both sides of the story and suggest compromises that both parties can tolerate. Because practicality is better than a disadvantageous divorce, most spouses see their way clear to agreeing on terms that are perfectly neutral and mutually beneficial.
Finding a Divorce Mediator Service in Denver
If you are preparing for a divorce, Denver divorce mediation can help. A divorce mediator’s goal is to build a divorce that helps both parties move forward independently after the separation. You can Contact Split Simple today or call us at 720-501-4600.
Split Simple
1624 Market Street #202
Denver, CO 80202
720-501-4600