Can a Pennsylvania mediator help you divorce faster and cheaper?
Mediation: The choice to divorce often comes after a long, agonizing period of evaluation. The decision is often accompanied by internal pressure to proceed as quickly as possible. Balancing the emotional impetus and the legal process of divorce is a significant part of any family lawyer’s practice.
Can mediation speed things up? Absolutely. Mediation, a process whereby both parties together hire a skilled divorce mediator (who is sometimes also an attorney, as I am) keeps the power squarely in the hands of the parties, not lawyers or judges.
The length of time to divorce can be greatly decreased with mediation, as can the privacy of the process. In Pennsylvania, the law imposes an automatic 90-day waiting period after the service of the initial complaint on the other party in a consent divorce. In this no-fault state, it is entirely possible to get divorced within 5 months – if both parties agree and are willing to sign paperwork to streamline the process. The process is even faster if the parties have been separated two years (if separated prior to December 5, 2016) or one year (if separated on or after December 5, 2016).
Yet divorces rarely proceed this quickly. Even two spouses equally convinced that divorce is the answer may not agree on issues such as how to split retirement accounts or whether to sell the family home. Here is where mediation can help achieve a compromise both sides can accept.
As a mediator, I bring to the table over 20 years of experience in both mediation and family law which helps me know questions most couples are either not aware of or reluctant to confront. I have seen many different solutions to tough dilemmas. As a disinterested party, I can evaluate the actual legal decisions to be made, helping you steer clear of the emotional landmines in your relationship. I also create the final document(s) you will need to memorialize your decisions with the court.
If both parties grasp that fair compromise is part of every smooth divorce, there are three ways you can use a mediator to speed things up and save money:
- Hire a mediator and complete and sign the Property Settlement Agreement and/or Custody Agreement prior to filing for divorce.
- If one of you has filed for divorce already, hire a mediator to help you work out the details of the agreement before completing the divorce.
- If negotiations have stalled – no matter where you are in the process – a mediator can help you get discussions back on track.
If you are interested in a faster, cheaper divorce and have complex issues to discuss, mediation is a good choice. Contact my office at 215-345-5259 for a free first consult.
-Elissa C. Goldberg, Esquire
Law Office of Elissa C. Goldberg
107 North Broad Street, Suite 211
Doylestown, PA 18901