I encourage you to continue your search for a mediator. If it has it come to Divorce, start with mediation. At the end of the day, courts and judges deal with money and formal procedure. They can't evaluate the emotional importance of what is happening during a divorce. Mediation gives you and your partner an opportunity to work out the details between yourselves with the assistance of the mediator. After many years I believe in patient mediation, call it slow mediation if you will. The decisions you make will affect your life for years to come. If you have children, you will have common interests for the rest of your lives. Trust me, you will enjoy the weddings and grandchildren and all the other joys of life more if you have avoided the pain of a bitter divorce. And, yes, going to court is by definition a fight, and it can quickly get bitter. I want to help you both avoid that if at all possible.
Your attorney will have mediators with whom they have worked over the years and will guide you in the choice. My "Slow Mediation" approach is more time-consuming, but it is worth considering. Whoever you choose will work with both spouses to reach a good solution.
I believe strongly that every person facing divorce should have the benefit of an attorney, a financial planner, and an emotional health counselor. The mediator, who is committed to being neutral, is not going to fill these roles. I, or any mediator, can give you general advice, but that is all.
It is true that there are situations that do not require all these services. And there are situations in which the parties simply cannot afford the luxury. They may discuss their situations with good advisers and conclude that the benefit does not justify the cost.
Attorney at Law
Certified Family Mediator
321-693-2006
dalyj@southbrevardmediation.com