Coming to an amicable agreement during a divorce may take some work. After all, a couple is likely divorcing because they can’t agree on major issues within a marriage. So divorce mediation in British Columbia may help to smooth out some of the rough patches that couples face when coming to a divorce settlement. A mediator may be worth his or her weight in gold in this respect.
In essence, the couple controls the outcome of the mediation process while the mediator facilitates that process by laying the negotiating ground rules, keeping communication open between the parties and acting as a sounding board for the couple. Mediators will encourage the couple to come to some consensus on issues that may be causing problems. There is no set time for the process to take place. It depends upon the issues that need to be ironed out be the individual couple.
Both people must attend mediation sessions along with the mediator, but each individual could also include his or her lawyer for guidance and advice or a friend or family member who could offer support. There is usually a defined structure for these meetings which begin by an opening statement by the mediator. The mediator may wish to meet separately with each party at some point during the process.
A British Columbia couple who agrees to the mediation process don’t have to go it alone. Each spouse can have his or her lawyer present for advice, guidance and support. A person has the right to take any settlement agreement brought forth through mediation to his or her lawyer for review. That might be a wise move before signing on the dotted line.