Important Terms To Understand Before You Mediate Your Divorce

Every industry has its own language and terms. These words and phrases can be confusing to anyone who is not part of the daily operations of a specific industry, and the divorce mediation business is no exception.

To help you understand the terms, acronyms, and phrases regularly used when working with a divorce mediator, C.E.L & Associates, Inc. has created this handy reference guide. Here you’ll find valuable information allowing you to comprehend and communicate your divorce mediation needs effectively.

Mediator: Is a neutral party who facilitates agreements necessary to get divorced.

Parenting allocation judgment: It is the parenting schedule, which includes holidays, and whether decisions for your children will be shared or one of you will be making certain decisions.

Marital settlement agreement: It is the financial terms of your divorce, including who keeps the house or whether it will be sold, retirement accounts, credit card debt, and division of assets.

Prove-up: It is the date you go to court before the judge to get divorced.

Equitable: It is the standard by which the judge will decide if your settlement is appropriate for you to get divorced in the State of Illinois.

Litigation: It is when you cannot mediate your divorce, and it goes to court for the attorneys to advocate on your behalf and possibly have a trial about the terms of your divorce.

QDRO: It stands for qualified domestic relations order and is the document that authorizes the transfer of retirement accounts from your spouse to you or from you to your spouse.

Attorney-assisted mediation: It is when attorneys participate on your behalf in the mediation process to give you legal advice while you are advocating for yourself in mediation.

Judge: It is the person who will decide whether the terms of your divorce are appropriate when you go to court for a prove-up of your divorce.

Mediation-friendly attorney: It is who you want to handle the legal piece during the mediation process if you are mediating your divorce.

Financial affidavit: It is the sworn disclosure statement telling your spouse and the court that you have disclosed all of your assets and debts which is required before you can get divorced.

Pre-marital or non-marital assets: These assets are off the table for financial settlement if they were acquired before the marriage or are not subject to sharing with your spouse for other reasons.

Petition: It is the lawsuit filed on your behalf or your spouse’s to start the legal process of your divorce.

Respondent: It is the person who did not file the lawsuit to begin the legal process of your divorce, but needs to respond to the petition.

Petitioner: It is the person who files the lawsuit to begin the divorce process.

We hope these terms made you feel more confident about connecting with a divorce mediator.

If you are looking for a parenting coordinator or divorce mediator in Chicago, IL, reach out to the experts at C.E.L & Associates, Inc. We always offer compassionate services and keep your family’s best interests at heart.

We specialize in pre-decree divorce agreements, post-decree divorce agreements, marital/family mediation, and co-mediation services.

We offer our services across Chicago, Libertyville, Rolling Meadows, Northbrook, Kenosha, Crystal Lake, Naperville, and Paddock Lake from our multiple offices.

Please view our complete list of services here, read customer reviews here, or get in touch with us here.