Riverside Divorce Mediation Lawyer

Riverside Divorce Mediation Attorney

Divorce litigation can be time-consuming, costly, and lead to outcomes that don’t align with your interests. However, there is another way. Mediation allows for a divorce to be settled without the need for court hearings. A Riverside divorce mediation lawyer can facilitate the process for an amicable and productive divorce.

Edgar & Dow: Skilled Divorce Mediation Lawyers

With over 20 years of family law experience, Edgar & Dow has helped many people with their mediated divorce cases. There are many decisions to consider during a divorce, which can leave you feeling overwhelmed or unsure about what to do. Working with an experienced divorce mediation lawyer can help you find unique solutions to conflicts and ease your anxiety about the future.

Financial Decisions to Consider When Filing for Divorce

California’s divorce rate is 8.9%, with divorce filings exceeding 100,000 each year. Millions of Californians must consider how to divide their assets and responsibilities during a divorce. Decisions that impact your financial situation during divorce include:

• Division of property and real estate
• Division of debts, such as personal loans or mortgages
• Division of retirement accounts, savings, and investments
• Whether or not spousal support should be provided and, if so, on what terms or what amount of support
• Division of businesses

A divorce mediation lawyer can ensure that there is financial transparency during divorce proceedings and help you evaluate your assets. A lawyer’s suggestions for possible ways to divide financial assets and burdens can be invaluable, especially if there is conflict over certain assets. Additionally, they keep all financial and personal information confidential.

Parental Decisions to Consider When Filing for Divorce

Beyond your financial assets, it is also important to consider what your divorce means for your children. About one-third of children are impacted by divorce. A mediation lawyer can offer advice on different custody and visitation arrangements that may support you and your child during this transition. Mediation offers more flexibility and creative solutions, meaning your plan is customized to your case.

When determining child custody, you can share responsibility with the other parent, known as joint custody, or have sole custody. The two types of child custody that must be determined are:

• Physical custody. Physical custody describes which parent the child lives with and receives day-to-day care from. If only one parent has physical custody, the other provides child support to fulfill their responsibility of providing for their child.
• Legal custody. Legal custody describes which parent has the right to make important decisions for the child. Decisions that can be made with legal custody include those regarding religion, education, or medical treatments.

Visitation can allow a parent who doesn’t live with the child to visit and maintain a relationship with them. During a mediated divorce, you and the child’s other parent can find a schedule that works for both of you, which increases amicability and cooperation after the divorce. Collaborating on a visitation plan can be an important step to protecting a child’s development, security, and overall well-being during this transition.

Why Hire a Divorce Mediation Lawyer?

Choosing to hire a divorce mediation lawyer can encourage good faith negotiations between you and your spouse, leading to terms of divorce that are mutually agreeable. However, a divorce mediation case does not remove the option of traditional litigation. If you and your spouse cannot come to an agreement over the terms after speaking with a skilled Riverside divorce mediation lawyer, you may pursue litigation.

A divorce mediation lawyer is the keystone of a mediated divorce. By acting as a neutral, third-party moderator, they can exercise conflict resolution and ensure both parties feel heard and respected during discussions. Additionally, their knowledge of divorce mediation laws allows them to propose possible suggestions for the terms of your divorce.

FAQs About Divorce Mediation

What Is the Downside to Divorce Mediation?

One downside to divorce mediation is that open communication and good faith negotiation must be possible between both parties. If one party refuses to participate or if there is a history of coercion or domestic abuse, it may not be possible to come to an agreement that is fair and mutually agreeable. However, if mediation does not work, you are able to move the case to litigation.

How Is Mediation Different From a Collaborative Divorce?

There are a few differences between mediation and collaborative divorce. While a collaborative divorce requires each party to have legal representation, making it a four-way collaborative process, a mediated divorce is facilitated by a single lawyer who is neutral between the two parties.

Additionally, collaborative divorces cannot proceed to litigation, incentivizing couples to work together toward a settlement. In a mediated divorce, the case can proceed to litigation, allowing them to have more options over how their case is settled.

Can You Switch to Mediation After Starting the Divorce Process with Litigation?

Yes, you can switch to mediation after starting the litigation divorce process. The Riverside County Superior Court allows you to pursue mediation at various points before orders are made. If you have just decided to start litigation or are in the middle of hearings, it is not too late to switch. A mediated divorce can help you protect your assets and save money and time, all while encouraging collaboration and communication.

Do You Need a Personal Lawyer for Divorce Mediation?

No, you do not need your own lawyer for divorce mediation. A divorce mediation lawyer can draft legal agreements and encourage communication between you and your spouse, so having your own lawyer is not required. However, it is highly recommended since a mediator is a neutral party. Having a lawyer can protect your personal interests and ensure that an agreement protects your assets before signing.

Learn How an Experienced Riverside Divorce Attorney Can Help

If you are trying to file a divorce while maintaining or building respect and communication, divorce mediation may be the right choice for you. With the assistance of a skilled divorce mediation lawyer, you and your spouse can settle the terms of the divorce through negotiation and legal guidance. Contact Edgar & Dow today for a free consultation and to learn how a mediated divorce lawyer can help you prepare for your future post-divorce.