Get in touch with our Allentown divorce mediation lawyer online or at (484) 838-5862! We proudly serve clients throughout Lehigh County.

Don’t be fooled into thinking a mediator will solve all your problems. In fact, the purpose of mediation is to help you and your spouse solve your problems yourselves and on your terms. With this in mind, a divorce mediator is an unbiased, third-party professional who facilitates conversations between spouses on a variety of disputes.

Although it would be nice, mediators do not make decisions for the parties or ensure the agreements are fair or legally sound. Instead, a mediator guides spouses into reaching mutual agreements on disputed terms of their divorce. They do not represent either parties’ interests.

Without knowing it, many divorcing couples make the mistake of going straight to litigation without giving mediation a second thought. If your attorney advises you to explore this avenue, you could experience a host of benefits, such as:

Save money: Did you know that mediation is the number one way to save on the legal costs of divorce? Instead of having your attorney litigate who gets what in court, a mediation lawyer will get straight to the point, providing effective guidance to help you and your spouse form agreements. As a result, you could potentially save tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Save time: Mediation is much faster than taking a divorce matter to court. This is because mediation allows you to avoid waiting on discovery timelines, lawyer negotiations, and court schedules. Instead, you get a drafted, fully enforceable agreement that finalizes the divorce as soon as grounds are established.

Fair outcomes: A key difference between litigation and mediation is that in litigation, a judge decides the outcome, whereas in mediation, the spouses decide their outcomes. Since spouses have full control of their resolutions in mediation, the results are much fairer than they would be in litigation. But like litigation, mediation doesn’t guarantee both spouses will walk away 100% satisfied. Just because both parties have full discretion in mediation doesn’t mean they will fully agree on each and every term.

Our Allentown divorce mediation attorney has heard a lot of misconceptions from people who don’t quite grasp the true essence of mediation. Many times, spouses refrain from exploring mediation to resolve their divorce, not because they think mediation is bad but because they don’t know the true essence and impacts of mediation.

False information about divorce mediation circulates far and wide, so we debunk 4 common myths about mediation below to give you clarity.

You don’t need a lawyer: Far too many spouses make the mistake of mediating their divorce without a lawyer. Since divorce mediators are not always experienced divorce attorneys, they may not have the legal competence and insights to help spouses draft a legally enforceable agreement. As we mentioned before, mediators do not represent the interests of either spouse. For this reason, you should hire a divorce lawyer to explain your rights and options as well as ensure your agreements are fair, comprehensive, and accurately drafted and submitted.

Divorce mediation is for wimps: False. Let’s put it this way – would you rather stand up for what you want for yourself and your future or let a lawyer do all the talking for you in court? If you picked the former, then mediation is an optimal choice for you. You could not only walk away with a satisfactory agreement but also confidence and strong communication skills.

All divorce mediators are lawyers: Mediators are not always lawyers, and lawyers are not always mediators. Do not assume the two roles overlap. Mediators are neutral, third-party professionals who help guide spouses in resolving disputes in their divorce, but many of them have no legal training. This is another reason why you need a lawyer for your divorce mediation.

Mediation works for everyone: As we mentioned before, you and your spouse should be civil and respectful of one another before even considering mediation. Litigation has increasingly become a “worst-case scenario” for divorcing spouses, but believe it or not, litigation may be the best choice for certain couples. After evaluating your circumstances, your attorney may suggest divorce litigation if:

With nearly two decades of legal experience in settling cases, Attorney Kevin Regan has helped his clients in the most challenging and complex cases arrive at negotiated settlements that parties can be proud of. From cases that have the financials all figured out and just need the proper documents drafted, to the parties far apart but willing to give mediation a chance, our Allentown divorce mediation attorney helps clients throughout Lehigh County save money, time and aggravation by mediating their divorce.

Get started on your path to peace of mind by contacting Regan Law Firm at (484) 838-5862!