When your contested divorce commences and the Complaint for Divorce is filed, the court will forward a tracking order regarding the estimated length of the litigation process which is usually 14 months.
When a couple decides to use a certified divorce mediator to get divorced, no complaint is filed and no tracking order is necessary. The parties can usually get an appointment with a mediator within a week or so and the mediation process can take less than a month and only requires 3 hours or less of face to face mediation time with your spouse.
With a contested divorce, you cannot ask the judge any questions and you have to wait months for a hearing date on temporary orders. With a mediator, you can ask all the questions that you want at any time. Once the mediation sessions are finished, the mediator will then prepare what is call a Joint Petition for a Divorce along with a settlement agreement, financial statements and the rest of the divorce filing. Once filed, there will be a five minute hearing before a probate and family court judge to review and approve the agreement.
The cost of divorce mediation is usually a flat fee. At Amaral & Associates, P.C., we charge
$ 1500.00 per spouse. Contested divorces, on the other hand, can cost anywhere from $ 5,000.00 to
$ 50,000.00 or more, per spouse.
The agreement that is prepared for you and your spouse is extremely thorough and is the result of 25 years of practicing family law. Problems or future issues with your spouse or children are usually addressed within the divorce settlement agreement to eliminate the need to have to keep running back to court or a mediator. Any discovery or financial documents needed to verify income and the like, will be requested and reviewed by your mediator. The financial information obtained by the mediator will then be shared with the parties so that there is full transparency.
As is indicated above, Divorce Mediations is Fast, Inexpensive and Thorough (FIT). Please click here to learn more about our FIT Divorce Mediation Program call us at (617)539-1010 for a no-cost consultation. I can also be emailed at edamaral@amarallaw.com . We look forward to hearing from you.
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