If you have been a resident of New Mexico for at least six months, then you are eligible to file for a no-fault divorce in the state court. Regardless what your reason for divorce is, the process always starts with divorce mediation. You can always get dedicated divorce services from a trusted family lawyer.
Usually, a divorce mediator is also divorce lawyer who serves as the neutral third party to the agreement proceedings. The mediator will help both parties in working out the terms and issues related to the distribution of property, child custody, child support, alimony, and many others. The divorce mediation process is faster if agreements between the two parties come easy.
The mediator intervenes when agreements become difficult to reach. Their job includes helping the couples arrive at a sound decision for themselves and their families. They are also tasked to keep the communication lines open and help the couple come up with ideas or proposals.
Things to Expect in a Divorce Mediation Process
During the divorce mediation phase, you and your spouse will sit together on a table with the mediator as the facilitator. These meetings are flexible and confidential, as the family law court is not yet involved in any of the process. The whole process is voluntary and it may go on for sometime until every issue gets settled.
Because everything that has been talked about during the meeting is confidential, no one would have to know about the faults in your marriage. Even the papers won’t be made public. But when the court gets involved, the hearing will be made public. Anybody can sit at the court room listening to the specifics of your divorce case as they wish.
If and when an agreement has not been achieved after several mediation sessions, the proceedings are usually taken to the court. When that happens, each party will need a divorce lawyer to represent them. During which, every party has to comply with the decisions of the court.
When it comes to price, divorce mediation is a lot cheaper than divorce litigation. This is why even divorce attorneys suggest that couples work things out among themselves first, instead of running to the court requesting an order. The mediation process is also shorter compared to litigation. Couples tend to finish the divorce process quicker through mediation. If they go to court, the proceedings can take longer than a year.
If there won’t be any issue between you and your ex-spouse and both of you are confident that you’ll arrive at an amicable settlement by yourselves, consider hiring a neutral divorce attorney to facilitate the mediation process. Frustrations and tensions tend to be lesser during these proceedings. Divorce mediation can also save you from all the pains and troubles associated with a divorce.