Common Problems People Face When Getting A Divorce
Let’s face it, going through a divorce is one of the most trying times in a person’s life. Although a divorce may eventually lead to a better future for you and your spouse, the road leading to divorce is littered with devastation, stress, and emotional trauma. Moreover, the hassles of preparing for court and dealing with the emotions often result in sidelining of your children and their well-being.
To prevent the possibility of an unfavorable outcome and reduce your troubles during the dissolution of your marriage, enlisting the services of a divorce mediator or legal expert will make all the difference to your case.
As leading parenting coordinator and divorce mediators in Chicago, IL, at C.E.L. & Associates, Inc., we believe that it’s essential to adopt the right approach to your divorce. In our years of experience, we have come across a ton of clients who have faced several issues when filing for a divorce, which has ended up increasing their financial and emotional burden. To help you tackle any issue that arises, we’ve listed some of the most common problems people face when getting a divorce and how to overcome them.
1. I can’t afford to get divorced. The cost of attorneys and litigation are too much.
Divorce is expensive. The average cost of a divorce is around $15,000, but with mediation, the overall cost can be one-third of that or less. Roughly fifty percent of our clients successfully complete the mediation process for $2,000 or less. This, plus one attorney and court costs will give you a complete divorce for under $5,000.
2. We have no idea how the divorce process works nor what to agree upon.
At the first meeting, a reliable mediator will inform you of everything you need to do to get divorced and explain it in a way that makes sense to you and your spouse. This is one of the many “things” that set mediation apart from litigation and attorneys.
3. I want to ensure my children’s best interests are looked out for during the divorce.
Divorce can be broken down into two pieces - children and money. When people go to attorneys, they focus on the money - how much you make, how much does your spouse make, what are your assets, and immediately talk about how much money they can get you, how they will go after your spouse and give you unrealistic expectations about how the divorce will end up. Unfortunately, they may not even ask about your children at the first meeting.
On the other hand, mediators typically start with your children - how many do you have, how old are they, what grades are they in, what are their likes and dislikes, what activities are they in, etc. Mediators focus on your children and will work with you on keeping their best interests at the forefront of the process.
4. My friend told me they got this in their divorce, my co-worker gave me this advice, an attorney told me I could get this, I read this online and want this, how can I get it?
Good divorce mediators and settlement minded divorce attorneys give clients realistic expectations of the divorce process, which helps keep them grounded. We keep you focused on agreements that are good for your children and equitable for you and your spouse. When people start a divorce with unrealistic expectations, it makes it difficult to get to good agreements.
5. My spouse refuses to mediate. He or she states that it is a waste of time and money.
Though almost everyone can get divorced through mediation, some people are unable to see its benefits. For them, the attorney route is the only option. However, when you have a reluctant spouse, we recommend the following:
a. Schedule an in-person consultation so the mediator can answer all their questions and concerns.
b. Discuss how mediation keeps them and your children out of court.
c. Discuss the cost and time savings.
d. Remind them the mediator is neutral and works for the entire family and that the mediator can assist with creative agreements, that are not typically thought of in litigation.
For solutions to your concerns about mediation and litigation during a divorce, reach out to the experts at C.E.L. & Associates, Inc. We specialize in divorce mediation and parenting coordinator services across Chicago and surrounding areas. We aim to help families comfortably sort their differences during any conflict or transition. We promise our clients that as neutral mediators, we will remain respectful, honest, and straightforward irrespective of the facts or circumstances presented to us during mediation.
We also help individuals with employment or partnership disputes and community or neighborhood issues. Our parenting coordinator and divorce mediators at C.E.L. & Associates, Inc. provide tools, structure, and guidance to enable you to make informed decisions and advocate for yourself through the divorce mediation process.
For more information about mediation, please click here. To learn more about our services, click here, or get in touch with us to book a consult with our experts.