Formal Separation? Why You Must Make the Most Out Of Mediation

When you and your partner separate, times can be very dark. You may go through a period of anger, remorse, bitterness or resignation, and sometimes, you may experience all of those emotions at once. Yet you must move on and will need to make arrangements for the future, especially when it comes to any involved children. How can you make life a lot easier for everyone involved by being as understanding and practical as possible?

Your Opportunity

As you may know, a family court may require you and your partner to go through a process of mediation before they will consider your case. This can be an opportunity for both of you to keep the affair out of a formal court, but you will need to be open-minded and prepare carefully at the outset.

Preparing for Mediation

Remember, a mediator is an independent expert who is there to encourage both parties to come together. You need to understand their specific aims and will need to focus on the issues at hand and, especially, any stumbling blocks.

Keep an open mind as you engage your thought process. Do not close yourself off to any ideas that may be transformative or that may remove some of those roadblocks.

Thinking Out Of the Box

It'll help to put yourself in the shoes of your former partner and listen to their specific needs. You may also need to think outside of the box to come up with some novel solutions. Now is the time to do this, before the situation goes in front of the court.

Time to Concentrate

However, if you cannot agree when going through this mediation process, you may have few opportunities to succeed during a formal case. A judge may not be as sympathetic if they can see that you failed at mediation, and they may want to progress the case as quickly as possible.

Taking the High Road

Above all else, make sure that you are realistic. You must also keep your emotions in hand, even if your former partner is less controlled. After all, the more logical, practical and sympathetic but firm that you are in this situation, the greater your chance of success.

Legal Advice

There is, of course, a lot on the line both for you and your children. You need to understand what you can and cannot do within the constraints of the law and will certainly need to have a family law solicitor on hand. Make sure that you engage someone with a lot of experience who can help you to make the most of pre-court mediation.