Estranged New Jersey couples who want to avoid the uncomfortable experience of a traditional court divorce have alternatives. One option is divorce mediation, which allows them to work together and negotiate a settlement. These are the steps involved in the process.
Meeting with a mediator
You and your spouse meet with a mediator, a neutral third party who is there to help you negotiate everything of concern in your divorce. The mediator will explain everything you can expect from the mediation process and listen to your concerns while helping you and your spouse agree.
Gathering information
You must go into your divorce mediation sessions with the right information. It helps when deciding on matters like property division, alimony, child support and child custody. Anything that concerns you and your spouse should be addressed; bringing information that concerns any of these matters can help. The mediator will provide a summary of all information brought by you and your spouse.
Negotiating
After you’ve addressed your respective concerns, the mediator lets you and your spouse negotiate all terms of your divorce. Once you have compromised and reached a satisfactory middle ground on things you have difficulty agreeing on, you can move forward with the process.
Settling
If you reach an agreement on everything in the divorce, you’ll have a settlement created and sent to the court so a judge can include it in your final divorce decree. Check with your mediator to see whether they will file the agreement on your behalf; if not, you might have to do it yourself. Some mediators may charge a fee to file your settlement agreement with the court.
Divorce mediation is a good way to respectfully end your marriage. If you and your spouse are willing to work together, it could be right for you.