The Role Of Divorce Mediation Orange County

By Charles Price


Many couples hire attorneys and prepare to go through a lengthy court battle when they decide to end their marriages. They assume there is no other way to get through the legal process without spending a lot of money on an attorney or battling it out before a judge in the family law court. However, with divorce mediation Orange County couples might actually find the process a lot less expensive and contentious. You can decide if it is right for you by learning what it is and what is involved with it.

Getting divorced can be an expensive undertaking once you get lawyers involved. Lawyers charge top dollar per hour for their services. By the time your case is finished, you may end up paying thousands of dollars in legal fees. Mediators charge less money than attorneys and can be assigned to you on a case by case basis. They also speed up the process of the case going through the court system.

They also may have a straight forward case that does not involve any minor children. Ending a marriage when you have children to consider can be more challenging and complicated. The state will demand you and your spouse decide upon matters like custody and support. These issues, even when you get along with your wife or husband, can make the case more contentious in nature.

Mediators typically cannot by law determine who gets the kids or who is entitled to child support. The family court and a family court judge has to be the one to issue a formal decree on this type of case. The lack of a decree means that any agreement reached during the mediator meeting is not necessarily legally binding and does not have to be observed by either party.

However, some states allow mediators to intervene in cases involving spousal support. They typically are allowed to remain involved in a case where both parties agree that one person is entitled to support for a finite amount of time. If the case becomes hostile, the mediator must then refer it to a judge and family court.

Mediators are available at all levels of the court system and are assigned on their availability. When the court does not have any available, you might have to wait to file your divorce. Once one becomes available, you can file the case and then request the assistance of a mediator who specializes in family or marital law. This person will then arrange the preliminary meeting with you and the other party.

By law, you are entitled to hire a lawyer at any time. However, you may not choose to do so because of the expense involved. Many attorneys charge hundreds of dollars per hour for their services. When you are trying to get through the situation on a budget and without spending too much, you may instead prefer to hire a mediator rather than an attorney.

Mediation can help a divorce go through the legal system faster and easier. It saves you time and money from having to hire a lawyer. You also may end up getting the results you want as long as you do not have minor children to take into consideration during the proceedings.




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