What Should You Expect During The Divorce Mediation Process?

Divorce is a complicated process that can turn into an ugly battle of lawyers if you don’t know what you’re getting into. If you have been considering divorce but aren’t sure about how to go about it, mediation might be a good option for you.

This post will go over what to expect from the Divorce Mediation Melbourne process so that you can fully understand your options.

Initial Consultation

The first step in the divorce mediation process is an initial consultation. At this meeting, you’ll get an opportunity to discuss your goals for the mediation and ask any questions you may have about how it will work.

The Divorce Mediation Melbourne will also explain what they expect from both parties during the course of negotiations, as well as answer any concerns that might arise during this phase.

In many cases, it’s best if both parties meet face-to-face at their respective attorneys’ offices or at another agreed-upon location (like a local library).

The length of time depends on each case but usually lasts no longer than 30 minutes; however, if necessary due to scheduling conflicts or other reasons related directly back to why we’re doing this – then we may need some extra time together before moving forward with any sort of agreement being made between ourselves!

Identifying Issues

You and your spouse will have the opportunity to discuss the issues that need to be resolved during mediation. You will also have an opportunity to share how these issues affect you and your family. This can be a difficult process, but it’s important that both of you are able to voice your feelings so that they can be addressed in court if necessary.

If either party brings up something new during this phase of mediation, it’s best for both parties lawyers (if there are any) or mediators (if there aren’t any) to step out of the room so that they don’t influence what is being said by their presence alone.

The mediator may ask questions about specific topics at certain points during this phase; however, most people find it easier just to discuss everything as openly as possible without having someone else watching over them every step of the way!

Creating a Settlement Agreement

The next step is to draft and sign a settlement agreement. A settlement agreement is a written contract that outlines the terms of your divorce, including child custody, spousal support, property division, and more.

It should be signed by both parties and notarized before it can be submitted to the court as evidence of an agreed-upon resolution to your case.

Before signing any paperwork related to your divorce or mediation process (including this one!), make sure you have reviewed it with an attorney first!

Finalizing the Divorce

At the end of mediation, both you and your spouse will sign a written agreement that details all the terms of your divorce. This document is called a “Marital Settlement Agreement” or MSA. The mediator will review this document with both parties to ensure that it accurately reflects their agreement on child custody, spousal support/alimony and property division.

If you have children together (or if there are other special circumstances), then your MSA must also be approved by Family Court in order for it to become legally binding. Once this has been done, then only one final step remains: getting divorced!

Conclusion

If you’re considering a divorce, it’s important to know what to expect during the mediation process. Family Mediation Melbourne can help couples work together to reach an agreement on issues like property division and child custody.

If both parties are willing, mediation can be a less stressful way of resolving these issues than going through court litigation or arbitration hearings alone.