If you’ve had a relationship breakdown, family law mediation can help you separate on better terms without having to go through the stress of dealing with the court system. That’s why today we’ll be sharing some tips on how to prepare and what to expect.
How To Prepare For Family Law Mediation:
When heading into family law mediation it is a good idea to have all of your ducks in a row so the process can flow smoothly. We suggest following the below steps:
Organise Your Bank Statements
When dividing funds, your lawyers will need to see who brings in what, as well as the standard expenses for your household to ensure that everyone gets a fair result. Having bank statements for all accounts (both joint and separate) easily available when you begin the family law mediation will greatly help streamline the handling of the monetary part of the process.
Have Details On Any Shared Assets
Shared assets will also need to be divided so it is a good idea to have any and all paperwork with you when you begin the process so your lawyers can see how your shared wealth was built.
Bring Proof Of Ownership For Personal Assets
If you had pre-existing assets before entering into your relationship, you’ll have a much better chance of hanging onto them if you have proof of ownership that shows they’re yours and yours alone. Bringing this to the initial meeting gets everything on the table and helps the process flow more smoothly – plus, if things go sideways, it won’t look like you’re just trying to cover yourself.
Have Character References And Information About Your Dwelling And Employment If You’re Going For Custody
Finally, if you have children and are going for either joint or sole custody, it is important to have character references and information regarding your living and employment situations easily at hand in order to show that you can provide a stable and safe life for your children.
What To Expect In Family Law Mediation:
Family law mediation covers all the things you would expect handled in a separation. It is simply a more relaxed method of taking care of everything that needs to be taken care of rather than dealing with the stress of court. In most cases, you will need to have a friendly relationship with your ex as you will be working together to achieve the desired outcomes.
Things To Remember:
Finally, there are a few things to remember when going through family law mediation:
Always Have Your Lawyer Present
No matter how friendly things may seem, it is vital to always have legal representation. We understand it’s tempting to save money but it can lead to all sorts of issues.
Take Minutes For Each Meeting
Taking minutes or notes for each meeting that you have helps ensure that you’re covered if any details or requests change in future. It also helps keep everyone honest as they know the interaction is being recorded.
There Is Still A Possibility That You’ll End Up In Court
While the goal of family law mediation is to avoid ending up in court, it’s important to remember that this is still a possibility if things cannot be resolved amicably during the process. If you and your ex are able to resolve any issues between yourselves and your lawyers privately, this will be a far better outcome, so keep that thought front of mind when you decide which things are worth arguing over.
Hopefully now family law mediation seems a lot less daunting – good luck.