All Court Documents
One of the elements of a divorce that makes it so complicated is the amount of paperwork involved. The documents need to be filled out properly and just one mistake can lead to a number of problems down the road. A lawyer will charge you thousands of dollars to simply fill out these documents on your behalf and in most cases it’s just money wasted. You can use a mediator to help you get through your divorce and they are also able to help you fill out all of the documents at a much, much lower cost.
The Divorce Documents
The mediator is able to draft and then file all of the court documents that are necessary. He is very familiar with all of the paperwork involved and the procedures that are necessary to file the correct papers with the courts. When you work through a mediator all of the information is kept confidential so you won’t have to worry about any private information being shared with the public.
Court Appearances
When you are working together in mediation you won’t have to make any court appearances. Instead, you will be working things out in a neutral environment that is safe and completely respectful. Once the couple has worked out issues such as the division of assets, finances, debts and spousal and child support, a Marital Settlement Agreement is drawn up along with the other necessary court documents. This paperwork is then filed at the courthouse and the end result will be a legal divorce. When you use a moderator you can completely avoid any stressful court appearances.
Legal and Binding
All court documents become legal and binding once signed by both parties. When the signed and approved Marital Settlement Agreement has been filed by the mediator the judge needs to sign it to make it an Order of the Court. Once this is done the judgment is legally binding and if you want to change anything in the marital settlement agreement later on you’ll need a court order to do so.
When you use a mediator you will not have to hire a lawyer since you will be working things together -along with the help of a neutral third party. Using a mediator will cost roughly 1/3 of what you would have to pay a lawyer. When you are dealing with the stress of the divorce or separation, you won’t want to also deal with the financial hardship of paying high lawyer fees. The mediator can work on your behalf to make sure that all court documents are properly filled out and filed.
The end result of working with the mediator will be a legal divorce. This divorce will be just as legal as if you had used a lawyer and went through the court system to get it. The only difference is you will have had a say in the outcome instead of leaving your future in the hands of a court judge to decide. This is the reason why so many people are turning to mediators these days when a divorce seems inevitable.
