So no one really wakes up one morning when they’re five years old and thinks, “Wow! One day I’ll get divorced!”
And, when you think of improving systems, divorce cases usually don’t come to mind, but we have discovered that the “traditional” divorce litigation route has a much more efficient, and usually more pleasant, alternative.
Most of grow up being aware of the concept of divorce; our friends parents, our aunts and uncles…maybe even our own parents. But the concept of it happening to us, at least in my case, doesn’t really come to mind.
So when you fast-forward twenty-two years and you’re sitting there looking at the papers, you’re just dumbfounded. But you’re not dumbfounded because the experience is heart-wrenching or gum-stabbing…it is oddly cordial.
Although divorce wasn’t a “happy” thing per say, and “mutual” isn’t the perfect word…it still isn’t the absolute disaster that you see in the movies or your social circles. At least so far, there hasn’t been many heated disputes over who gets what, communication between the two of you has been pretty consistent. The process is going well so far. So why do have to pay an arm and a leg to have someone make it official?
Well, fortunately, there is a hidden gem of divorce law that can save you thousands upon thousands in legal fees. And that hidden gem is an Orange County divorce mediator.
Now you may ask, what is a divorce mediator?” Well, they are unbiased assistants in a way, consultants who works with both of you to reach a common goal. As you can probably imagine, these mediators are most effective when both parties agree on the divorce decision.
A good thing to remember is that a good divorce mediator is an actual lawyer who is qualified to give legal advice. So, they can help you create the outline for a divorce settlement and carry things all the way through. That way, you never have to meet with a “real” divorce attorney to make the settlement official. The hard work is all taken care of by the mediator.
Now you may be thinking something along these lines: “Okay, so their services are cheaper and they can do all the same things as a divorce lawyer, what’s the catch?
That’s a valid question, and you can bet that divorce mediators receive them all of the time. And it doesn’t stop there, there are actually a few more advantages to having a divorce mediator than meets the eye.
For example, divorces handled via mediations usually go much faster. Although this could be attributed to the clients already being on the same page, it is also just the nature of the profession. Without having the high hourly rates, these mediators have no reason to drag on the session with hours and hours of pleasantries. It is in their best interest, and yours, to get the desired result as efficiency and accurately as possible.
Divorce mediators also don’t have to adhere to the strict guidelines that divorce courts do. Because of this, the settlements can be a bit more creative. And yes, despite popular belief, the words “creative” and “divorce settlement” can go together.
So if you’re interested in revisioning the traditional way we look at family law in Orange County, looking into divorce mediation would be a great place to start. And we highly recommend:
McNamee Mediations
590 MacArthur Blvd Suite 500, Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 223-3836