Although no married couple wants to go through a divorce, many end up doing just that. If it’s impossible to work out your differences, you might have no choice. However, instead of going through a Washington court for a traditional divorce, you might want to explore alternatives.
Why should you consider an alternative for your divorce?
Divorce is never easy, but it can help to consider litigation alternatives if you’re ending your marriage. In many cases, traditional divorces are overly emotional with disputes, bitterness and tears. They also usually take a lot more time to be finalized compared with alternative means. If you decide to forgo the court for your divorce, you have more freedom to negotiate with your spouse and work out your differences in a calm and civil manner. You can work together to reach a settlement and avoid all of the issues that traditional court divorces bring. If you have children, litigation alternatives can be much better for them as well.
What is mediation?
One of the litigation alternatives available to you for getting a divorce is mediation. Mediation allows you and your spouse to meet with a neutral third party to discuss your issues and come to an agreement on all matters related to your divorce. You can decide on spousal support, child custody and support, property division and more. Once you reach an agreement, the mediator will create a document that you both sign. From there, the document goes to the court and becomes finalized.
Mediation is the best option for a divorce when both parties are successfully able to agree on all issues. If there are any matters still being disputed, arbitration might be the next step.
What is arbitration?
Arbitration is another of your litigation alternatives. If you and your spouse cannot reach a final agreement, you can meet with an arbitrator. Each party shows their evidence and has witnesses to support that evidence. The arbitration process has more of a court feel due to a judgment ultimately being made.
If you want to avoid a court divorce, these alternatives are the better way to go. Mediation may be the best option for everyone depending on the circumstances.
