Family Law Mediation
Austin Divorce Mediation Lawyer
Saving Time and Money in Your Divorce
When both spouses are willing to sit down and negotiate the terms of their divorce, family law mediation can be a cost-effective, relatively straightforward process for settling a divorce. Additionally, mediation allows parties to reach mutually agreeable terms regarding any number of family law issues. As such, it allows people to control their own future by putting them in charge of the terms of their divorce rather than having a judge decide the matter for them. At Gregory Paul Hitt, Attorney at Law, I counsel and represent clients in the family law mediation, making sure their rights and interests are protected throughout the process.
If you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are willing to sit down and negotiate a divorce settlement, contact family law mediation lawyer Gregory Hitt today to schedule an appointment and discuss your case.
The Divorce Mediation Process
In order to ensure the procedural integrity of the divorce mediation process, mediators cannot give legal advice; rather, they must remain neutral with regard to the parties involved. When legal issues arise, parties can consult with their attorney. Mediators typically meet with both parties separately in order to identify important issues regarding the division of marital assets and marital debt, child custody, and parenting time. Afterwards, the mediator will help frame the issues in order to underscore what is in the best interests of both parties and to keep discussions on track. Once the parties begin negotiations, the mediator goes back and forth between the parties to present proposed terms and keep discussions moving forward.
Why is Mediation Preferable to going to Court?
The central advantage of mediation is that it puts both spouses in charge of their future by allowing them to determine the terms of their divorce. Here, couples can determine how marital assets will be divided, who will take responsibility for paying off certain debts, how the house will be handled, and what sorts of custody and parenting time arrangements will be operative. In regard to marital assets, mediation allows you to negotiate an arrangement whereby one spouse can keep the marital home in exchange for excluding the other spouse's retirement savings from division as marital property. While subject to final approval by the court, mediation puts you in charge of what your divorce settlement will look like rather than having a judge impose terms on you.
Contact Austin, Texas Mediation Family Law Attorney Gregory Paul Hitt
If you and your spouse are willing to negotiate the terms of your divorce, contact divorce mediation attorney Gregory Paul Hitt today to schedule an appointment and learn how I can help you.