Mediating Divorce Cases in Spokane May Be the Solution
Mediating divorce cases in Spokane County are required where there are children involved. Divorce is almost never easy — but why make it harder than it has to be? Mediation is often a better solution.
Dividing property and deciding how best to parent your kids can, in themselves, seem overwhelming. Add volatile emotions to the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for stress, mess, and a whopping legal bill.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
When you and your partner can’t even agree to disagree, it’s time to call in a mediator. Or is it?
The fact is, a mediator will sit the two of you down and try to craft a dissolution agreement and, if needed, a parenting plan, but he or she may not succeed. That means you may have to call in an arbitrator to decide. Not only will an arbitrator cost more money, but you’ll lose control of your divorce agreement: his or her rulings are binding.
Meanwhile, the bills are mounting — and you’ll still need an attorney to present your case to a judge.
Maybe you and your spouse agree on the details of your divorce. Why not just write up a plan yourselves and present it to the court? Unless at least one of you is an expert in Washington family law, this plan may backfire. A judge will scrutinize your dissolution agreement to make sure it’s fair to both parties and meets legal standards, and may toss it out as “unconscionable” if it doesn’t.
You’ll still have the courtroom costs to pay from your failed attempt, as well as the fees for the attorney you’ll now need to hire to do the job right.
One of my clients, for instance, had signed off on a plan that deprived him of all his parental rights – visitation with the children, even telephone calls to them. The only right he would have retained was the right to pay child support to the children’s mother. The judge would not approve the agreement, and so he came to me.
He could have saved himself a lot of time, hassle, stress, and money if he’d come to me from the beginning. See, mediating divorce cases in Spokane does not have to be complex. Mediation could be the right solution to any dispute. It is also important to note that mediation is not a signal of weakness. As noted, mediation may be required; however, it can be a fantastic tool to understand the other’s side points and best arguments.
Mediating Divorce Cases in Spokane
If you’re about to go through a divorce, a good lawyer can be a godsend. She or he can steer you through the process, tell you what’s legal and what isn’t, and, perhaps most important, help you iron out differences with your spouse.
This might seem counter-intuitive. Don’t lawyers make the most money when their clients fight? But that’s not how I, or any good lawyer, does business. Our job is to solve our clients’ problems, not exacerbate them.
I also pay close attention to my clients’ budgets, and try to keep costs as low as possible. Can’t agree with your spouse on a visitation schedule? Let’s work together to write a plan addressing your child’s education, religion, transportation, and other issues on which you do agree, then either sit down together to iron out the rest or, if you wish, involve a mediator to smooth out the rough spots. Collaboration is always better, and less expensive, than conflict. And, if you have to go to trial, it’s better for you if the judge only has to decide one or two points. That way, you get to have things the way you want them to be, for the most part.
Having a good attorney on your side has other benefits, too. You can choose to let your laywer negotiate with a spouse who may be difficult or unpleasant, saving yourself the emotional turmoil. This, in turn, can result in a smoother relationship with the other person — very important when a child or children are involved. Remember that Mediating divorce cases in Spokane County is required in most cases where children are involved. LSPR 94.04 (a)(12) is the local court rule which lays out this requirement.
If you’ve been served with divorce papers, try not to get upset: Washington law requires this method of starting the divorce process. It can feel traumatic when someone comes to your door with legal documents in hand, but keep your cool, pick up the phone and call Quiroga Law Office.
And, if you’re the one filing for divorce or instigating a parenting plan, take the sting out of being served by talking to your spouse ahead of time and telling them the documents are coming.
A good lawyer is one who looks out for your interests — all of them. What kind of relationship do you want to have with the person you’re divorcing in the future? At the Quiroga Law Office, PLLC, we care about the long-term as well as the here and now. Contact us today to start your divorce and parenting-plan proceedings on the right foot.
