Mediation a cost-effective alternative to divorce

 Posted on February 05, 2019 in Uncategorized

As a Texas resident currently navigating your way through a divorce, you may be weighing your options and trying to determine the cleanest, easiest and most affordable way to untangle your life from your former partner's. Often, parties working their way through divorces choose to hire their own attorneys to represent them, but this comes at a considerable expense and is, in some cases, largely avoidable.

Mediation, for example, presents an affordable alternative to a traditional courtroom divorce. Typically, mediation involves having both parties in the marriage meet with an impartial third party – known as a mediator – who helps them work through a broad range of issues related to spousal support, asset division, child custody and so on. While mediation often brings with it numerous benefits, such as increased privacy and a minimal emotional strain on any children you and your former partner may share, one of its biggest benefits is that it can save you a substantial amount of money.

How much can you save through mediation?

There is no clear-cut answer on exactly how much money you can save through mediation because every divorcing couple has different matters they must sort through. However, Yahoo Finance reports that, as of 2015, the average divorce would cost each party about $15,500. In situations where former couples were also working through child custody and support matters and the like, however, divorce costs rose to about $19,200. While these numbers may sound staggering, it can get far worse if your divorce ends up going to trial. In such situations, you may find that your divorce-related financial expenses reach $30,000 or higher.

Most divorces involve a bit of give-and-take, but you do have some control over how much you will spend on the divorce process. By opting for mediation instead of leaving matters for a judge to decide, you may be able to save money, maintain your privacy and keep things from getting uglier between you and your one-time partner.