Getting A Divorce In Fort Lauderdale? How To Prepare For Divorce Mediation

Getting a divorce in Broward County can be a confusing and costly experience. In contentious cases, couples can spend long months debating issues such as marital property division, alimony, child custody, and support.

Divorce mediation provides a less stressful, more cooperative alternative. It helps divorcing couples communicate, reach individualized agreements on key issues, and protects their privacy. Our Florida divorce mediation attorney represents clients throughout the process and explains how it works and how to prepare.

Divorce Mediation in Fort Lauderdale: How it Works

When getting a divorce through the Broward County courts, judges strongly encourage couples to attend mediation. In contentious cases, where divorce-related issues such as marital property division, alimony, and child custody are often in dispute, mediation provides a way to resolve differences privately and before proceeding to trial. Here’s how it works:

• The court appoints an impartial third party to act as a mediator.
• Each spouse meets privately with the mediator and has a chance to voice their concerns and goals.
• The mediator guides discussions between the spouses and helps them amicably resolve issues.
• If an agreement is reached, the mediator will present it before the court, where it becomes part of a final order.
• If there is no agreement between the spouses, the case proceeds to court.

Divorce mediation discussions are confidential, meaning nothing that is said in mediation can be used later in court if mediation fails and the case proceeds to trial.

Preparing For Divorce Mediation In Broward County

Mediation offers several advantages for divorcing couples in Fort Lauderdale. It can save time and money in court costs and legal fees. It can also protect you and your family’s privacy, preventing you from having to share sensitive details in Broward County Family Court proceedings, such as your financial situation, names of children, and circumstances surrounding your divorce, which become part of the public record.

By focusing on collaboration and overcoming conflicts, mediation can help create more customized arrangements that benefit both parties and set the tone for their relationship moving forward, post-divorce. Here’s how to prepare:

• Make a complete inventory of all marital property, assets, and debts;
• Consider what you might be seeking in a Fort Lauderdale divorce, such as retaining ownership of certain property, receiving alimony payments, and any child custody arrangements;
• Keep an open mind about mediation and realize that you may need to make some concessions.
• Consult an experienced Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney to discuss your rights under Florida law and what you can reasonably expect in a settlement.

Request A Consultation Today With Our Experienced Fort Lauderdale Divorce Mediation Attorney

Mediation provides a pathway to resolving divorce-related issues without the stress, expense, and lack of privacy associated with going to court. The Law Office of Sandra Bonfiglio protects your rights throughout the process, providing the trusted legal guidance you need to get the best possible settlement. To request a consultation, call or contact our Fort Lauderdale divorce mediation attorney online today.

Sources:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0044/0044.html

browardclerk.org/Divisions/Family