Bringing Experience And Knowledge To Your Custody And Support Negotiations
Even though you and your spouse are going your separate ways, your divorce doesn’t have to be an overly contentious matter. There are ways of calmly and rationally sorting out everything from property division to child support and child custody without the need for litigation or arbitration and all the harsh feelings that come with them.
In addition to saving yourselves the heartache and stress of a messy divorce process, mediation can also save you a considerable amount of money. You can hire one attorney to serve as the mediator for a fraction of the cost of hiring two attorneys to litigate, and you’ll likely get through the process much faster and under more favorable conditions. Even if you both decide to hire your own attorneys to represent you through the mediation process, it will likely still be less expensive than litigation.
What To Expect From Divorce Mediation
When you and your spouse come in for a mediation session, attorney Lisha Prater Seery will act as a neutral third party. Her role is not to fight for either of your interests at the expense of the other. Rather, she will be there to help you come to an agreement that is beneficial to both of you by facilitating discussion and keeping things civil.
As a mediator, attorney Seery will take the time to understand the extent of your assets and your individual needs to guide you in dividing your marital property and debt in a manner acceptable to both parties. If there are children, she will help you come up with a plan for custody and child support that adequately meets your children’s needs while being acceptable to both parents of you.
If you decide to hire a different attorney to act as a mediator, Ms. Seery can represent your individual side of the negotiations to make sure you are getting an acceptable result.
In a divorce or custody action it is important to remember that neither party will believe the result is “fair” because “fair” is open to interpretation. What you believe to be “fair” is different than what your spouse or co-parent believes is “fair.” Reaching a compromise that is acceptable to both parties is the goal through mediation and is 95 percent of the time the outcome is more acceptable than if a judge has to decide the outcome.
Bring Your Marriage To A Smooth End
If you have children together and have to share custody, or one of you will be paying spousal support to the other, chances are you will have to interact with your soon-to-be ex-spouse for years to come. Mediation is a good way of maintaining a cordial relationship with your ex-spouse and keeping tensions low.
Parties often feel much better about following mediated divorce agreements, since they helped to create terms of the agreement and had a chance to be heard. Mediation provides a chance to end your marriage on a better note than it probably would after litigation.
Schedule Your Divorce Mediation Today
If you and your spouse are interested in hiring a mediator for your divorce or you need an attorney to represent your interests, schedule an appointment with Lisha A. Seery, LLC, today. You can reach us at 417-459-4390 or by completing our intake form.