Colorado Divorce & Family Law Mediation - Better Choice

Summary:  This is a process of assisted negotiation based on informed decision-making.  You should use an attorney, so that your separation agreement is fair and based on the law. (That is why your mediator should be an attorney who is active in the court system and knows what you can expect in a court case.)

Divorce & Family Law Mediation in Colorado - The Better Choice

1.  Mediation saves you a lot of money, saves you a lot of time, and saves you a lot of emotional stress.  Court proceedings often take a year or longer and often provide no benefit to either party.  Too often, court rulings are not appropriate for either party.  Check out the 4 case studies.

2.  In mediation, you make your own fair decisions based on sufficient legal information and knowledge of your situation.  Neither party is hiding money or other property. 

3.  You retain control over the decision-making.  No one forces you to make any agreement.

4.  Your mediator is a neutral who does not favor either party.  All communications are provided to both of you.  There are no one-sided discussions.

5.  You can better promote the best interests of your children, regarding parenting time and child support, compared to court rulings.

6.  Your mediated agreement should be based on the law and typical court rulings, so that it is legal, fair, and reasonable.  It should include your specific family circumstances. Different options and alternative solutions should be discussed.

7.  Your mediator should be an attorney who is active in Colorado divorce court cases.  The reason is that the the attorney should have a working knowledge of how a judge would likely rule on your case.  An attorney mediator who is actively involved in court proceedings has a working knowledge of alternative solutions and the best long-term solution.  The attorney should also know how to handle issues of failure to properly disclose.

8. The neutral mediator should provide legal information as to the law and how a judge might rule on your case.  Most family law court case results are predictable by an attorney who is active in court proceedings.

9. The first step in the mediation process is to provide the mandatory disclosures, such as pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns, credit card statements, retirement account statements, and other assets and debt statements.  If disclosure is not properly made, then there cannot be a meaningful mediation.