The costs of divorce are very significant. Most think it will not cost a lot of money to get divorced and it will be a quick divorce. Neither are close to the truth unless you use divorce mediation.
If you're contemplating divorce, there are significant costs pertaining to paying a lawyer. Divorce is a big business in the United States. According to maritalstatus.com, a Web site geared toward divorce and remarriage, divorce is a $28 billion-a-year industry with an average cost of about $20,000.
The costs of divorce siginificantly outweigh the costs of mediation. Why is mediation so reasonble?
Together, you meet with the mediator and try to reach a fair agreement through a series of joint sessions (8 to 12). We charge $200 an hour and usually meet for an hour and a half. Together, you will make your own decisions. The mediator acts as a 'facilitator' and through this process you can understand the financial and custody decisions that have to be made. At the end of the meetings you come to a statement of understanding. This is presented to your individual attorneys for their review.
Dushkin + Jennings can mediate your entire divorce or act as a neutral financial analyst and mediate the financial issues of your divorce. We can perform a financial analysis of assets, debts, and budgets to allow you to make informed decisions.
The costs of divorce are so much higher than mediation. Mediation helps identify key issues concerning the division of personal and real property, support, parenting, and plans for the future. It helps eliminate the painful win-lose atmosphere that is part of all adversarial divorces. The process is a mutual search for a reasonable solution; neither partner can win at the other's expense. Resolutions must emerge from the process with a settlement created and accepted by both. Mediation can also deal with specific limited issues such as times of access, what to do with the house, or other issues specified by you at the start.
