Minnesota Divorce Mediation Attorney

More on Mediation in Minnesota

In Minnesota, a growing number of divorces and other family law cases, involving such issues as visitation, property division, alimony, and unique circumstances such as relations with grandparents or stepfamilies, are being settled outside of the courtroom through mediation. In mediation, a trained professional works with both parties and their attorneys to identify and accommodate the best interests of all parties involved. The opportunity to mediate allows parties to take the time to address all their concerns and, with the mediator's help, reach a workable compromise. Mediation allows separating parties to come to more creative agreemen ts that actually work, rather than just allowing a judge to make decisions for them. A Minnesota divorce attorney can assist you throughout the entire mediation process.

What happens during mediation?

Individuals may mediate before separation, and before, during and after the divorce process. During the initial stages of mediation, the parties will likely focus on the identification of the issues at the heart of the dispute and on each individual's goals. Once the issues are determined, the mediator will assist the parties in exploring potential solutions to the dispute and facilitate decision-making for each issue the parties have identified. Finally, if the parties can come to an agreement, the mediator will help the parties put the agreement on paper. The agreement, if any, reached through mediation is not binding on the parties, though the parties have the option of presenting their agreement through an attorney to a judge, who will sign the agreement and make it into a binding court order.

Divorce Mediation Lawyer in Minnesota

Minnesota courts are already incorporating elements of mediation into the court process because mediation is less expensive and less time consuming for all parties. Sometimes the court will order the parties to try mediation. For example, in some jurisdictions within the state, child custody disputes are automatically sent to mediation. In other situations where there is no court ordered mediation, the parties themselves choose mediation, possibly because court processes might take months or even years and might involve costs that outweigh the benefits to the parties. On the other hand, it's possible for the parties to arrive at a mediated agreement in a couple of hours or in sessions over a few weeks. No matter what the circumstances of your separation may be, at Heimerl & Lammers, our attorneys can answer any question you may have about divorce mediation.

Contact a Minnesota divorce mediation attorney if you would like to learn more about the mediation process.