Divorce Mediation
What is mediation?
Mediation is an informal process to resolve conflicts between parties with the help of a mediator. The mediator is an impartial, independent professional; unlike a judge or a lawyer, he or she has no authority to make binding decisions in a conflict. Instead, the mediator facilitates negotiation to find a solution that works for both parties. He or she will conduct proceedings fairly and in good faith, and supports the participants with the emotional aspects of dealing with conflict or crisis.
What is divorce mediation?
All families go through challenging times, and resolving it together can seem impossible. At the same time, finding common ground is essential when it comes to issues such as raising kids and dividing shared assets during a separation.
Divorce mediation helps you re-engage in healthy conversations and address your family’s unique needs.
Sharing, listening and exploring
During mediation, each party will present their story and describe how they see the situation, as well as listen to the other person’s side. The mediator then helps to map out the issues and identify common interests in a constructive atmosphere.
Finding a solution is not about who is legally right. Mediation is not a confrontation, but a joint process to reach an agreement, and this requires courage. Are you willing to do what it takes to work out your differences?
When should you choose mediation?
Mediation is a collaborative process that helps you both agree on your priorities and determine how the separation will impact your lives, and your children’s. This will be especially helpful when communication has broken down and needs to be re-established to create a healthy and successful cooperation going forward and preserve the family’s best interests.
Mediation is an effective way to reduce bureaucracy, expenses, and time compared to working purely with a lawyer.
Divorce mediation in practice
The first step is to schedule a joint or individual call with me. This is a free, exploratory consultation to discuss the possibilities and see if there is a good match. It is important that you feel comfortable with your mediator and know what to expect when choosing this route.
This preliminary meeting can usually be scheduled within 5 working days. If you both wish to go ahead, we will plan the first session and sign a mediation agreement. You will set the agenda, and we will work through these topics and explore solutions. It generally takes between 3 to 6 sessions to reach an agreement in a divorce. In other family conflicts, this can take between 2 to 4 meetings.
Formalizing a divorce agreement
If your goal is a collaborative divorce under Dutch law, a divorce agreement must be registered and submitted to the (Dutch) court with the help of a qualified lawyer.
Would you like to find out more about mediation and divorce coaching? Please reach out to me for a free exploratory consultation call to discuss the possibilities. I can help!
Why mediation?
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Less conflict, anxiety and stress
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Faster and less expensive
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Control of the outcome
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Focussed on common interests
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Flexible and customized
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Allows creative solutions
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Voluntary participation
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Preservation of relationship