Divorce Mediation Attorneys Morris County, NJ
Divorce can be difficult for everyone involved. Even when it is the right decision and ultimately a positive choice, the family and lifestyle changes can be jarring for children and adults alike. Divorcing parents have a litany of factors which they must resolve including child custody and child support. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. There are also ways to lessen the stresses of divorce for children such as seeking uncontested divorce, no-fault divorce, and choosing alternative conflict resolution methods such as mediation and arbitration. It is also important to remember that your family dynamic is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to divorce.
Today, our divorce mediation attorneys will discuss why mediation can be beneficial for families with children, how children may be involved, and more.
Divorce Mediation with Children in Morris County, NJ
As referenced earlier, divorce can be hard on children. Thankfully, there are options available to divorcing co-parents which can serve to ease this transition and mitigate the short and long term impact of divorces on children. One of these positive choices may be to choose mediation to resolve your divorce disputes.
However, our Morris County divorce mediation attorneys often hear concerns similar to: “I would like to use mediation, but I want to make sure my family is protected through a formal legal process”. This is an understandable but ultimately misinformed concern. Mediation offers many of the same protections as litigation, including:
- Mediation can resolve even the most complex disputes involving alimony, division of marital property, child support, child custody, etc.
- You may choose to use a mediation attorney to make sure the professional you are choosing is up-to-date on current divorce law
- Mediation is non-binding. If for whatever reason you are unhappy with the recommendations of your mediator, you are not obligated to accept his or her decision and may negotiate or litigate further
- Mediation is often easier on children, as we will discuss in greater detail below
Children and Divorce: Chester, NJ Mediation Attorneys
Let’s say you and your spouse are considering mediation as a conflict resolution method. You understand that mediation can be used to resolve divorce and family law conflicts much like traditional mediation, but how is mediation better for kids? Our Chester mediation attorneys believe that to answer that question, we need to consider the perspective of the children.
Children vary not only in age, but also in temperament, emotional maturity, and much more. However, most kids will have at least some understanding that a divorce means that mom and dad aren’t too happy with one another right now. There are two primary ways this can go:
Co-parents are openly fighting – litigation loosely translated means “to dispute” or “to contest”. By going to court, you are automatically entering into a combative mindset. In order to win, your spouse must lose. Children are sensitive to this kind of feedback, and may pick up on that negative energy.
Co-parents attempt to work together to resolve their issues – the alternative is to choose to amicably resolve your issues through out of court negotiation or mediation. Many co-parents choose mediation because it is a structured way to resolve their issues without the “me vs. them” mentality. Older children will understand that their parents are at least trying their best, and that does make a difference.
Considering Mediation to Settle your Divorce Disputes? Contact our Morristown Divorce Mediation Lawyers Today
The divorce mediation lawyers of Laufer, Dalena, Cadicina, Jensen & Bradley have extensive experience using mediation within divorce and family law disputes throughout Morris County towns such as Morristown, Chester, Chatham, Morris Township, Mendham, Harding, Morris Plains, and across all of Northern New Jersey. We take pride in offering alternative conflict resolution methods such as mediation and arbitration to better serve local parents and their children. Many firms offer mediation as a token, but do not truly take the time to use ADR to its fullest potential. If you are interested in working with a family law firm which will guide you through the mediation process from beginning to end, look no further.
To discuss the potential to use mediation within your divorce, please contact us online or through our Morristown, NJ offices today by calling 973-975-4043 for a free and confidential consultation.
