If you drive north from Hamilton for a few hours, you’ll come to Bowling Green University. The Ohio school’s National Center for Family and Marriage Research says its analysis of data indicates that the divorce rate in America is on the decline.
Regardless, many people find themselves bucking the trend and facing the prospect of the end of their marriages. Cincinnati’s NPR station recently hosted an interesting discussion of divorce and mediation with several experts, including a psychologist, a family law attorney and a financial adviser.
One of the things the members of the panel agreed on is that couples in distressed marriages should sit down and talk frankly and calmly about their differences. No one should enter such a discussion assuming that all struggling relationships must end.
But for some couples, it becomes clear that no amount of talk or therapy will fix the marriage. Divorce becomes inevitable.
The attorney pointed out that “there are a number of ways to get divorced,” including litigation. But she added that for some couples, mediation is a better way to proceed.
As our regular Butler County family law blog readers might know, mediation offers people a way to end marriage with less stress and lower costs than would be incurred by going to trial. Plus, mediation can address and resolve important areas of contention, including property division matters that include how debts and assets will be allocated. In addition, couples in mediation can resolve crucial child custody issues that include parenting plans.
The financial adviser agreed that alternative dispute resolution methods can save couples money at a particularly difficult time and allow them “to get on with their lives.”
If you would like to discuss how mediation might save you time and money in your divorce, contact the Law Office of Kristen L. Campbell, LLC to schedule an appointment.
