What Is Virtual Divorce Mediation, And How You Use It?

 

If you’ve decided to divorce, the last thing you need is additional stress, inconvenience, and expense.

Virtual divorce mediation maximizes convenience and minimizes acrimony and cost. This innovative process allows you to legally end your marriage without going to Court and without the need to deal with your ex face-to-face. It works through an effective, efficient combination of traditional divorce mediation and modern communication technology.

Virtual divorce mediation allows you to resolve all matters from any location (including from your own home), without paying exorbitant legal fees, and in an amazingly shortened timeframe.

Traditional divorce litigation (hiring attorneys and going to Court) adds an unnecessary layer of financial burden and inconvenience to a process which is already difficult enough. Many couples cannot afford the fees lawyers charge. Attorneys often escalate the inherent friction between the separating parties, which makes matters worse. Going to Court to resolve conflict creates tension and emotional stress for most parties.

Virtual mediation solves all of these problems.

Virtual divorce mediation begins with the idea that the divorcing couples are the ones most suited to sort out the terms of their divorce. Under the professional facilitation of a skilled mediator, a couple can come to a reasonable and fair resolution of every legal, financial and logistical matter needed to obtain an “uncontested divorce”.  

All of the benefits of traditional divorce mediation are retained in virtual divorce mediation. Traditional mediation has proven over the past decade that even highly conflicted couples can have a constructive conversation when provided with a framework which keeps things balanced and on track.

Mediation accords each party respect by allowing them time to express their views while their soon-to-be ex-spouse listens without interruption. It empowers the couple to make their own decisions (within the bounds of legality) about the issues which impact their futures so profoundly.

Traditional divorce mediation has an excellent track record for efficiency in resolving conflict. The parties hear one another and negotiate with each other under the guidance of a calming and stabilizing professional. The mediator is not an advocate seeking to win but rather a neutral party who only wants the resolution that is best for the couple.  The “back and forth”, which is always part of the process, is between the parties, not between their divorce lawyers, and so the legal fees are dramatically reduced.

The “virtual” component of virtual divorce mediation offers couples the ability to conduct mediation sessions via conference call rather than having to drive into the lawyer’s office or meet their ex face-to-face. They can schedule sessions according to their own timetable. They can set a pace which works for them rather than have it dictated by their lawyer’s schedule or the Judge’s calendar.

The conference call aspect of virtual divorce mediation is of tremendous benefit. It reduces the potential flashpoints of strife between the parties and increases the quality of communication.   The mediation sessions are facilitated by a skilled professional mediator who guides the conversation and eases the process forward.

Rather than hashing things out in a lawyer’s conference room, the parties can call from the comfort of their own home or even while in the car driving. Waiting in courtroom hallways or sitting in the same conference room with your ex-spouse can be stressful especially when important issues are hanging in the balance. That extra tension leads to arguments and higher conflict. Virtual divorce mediation reduces friction because the setting is more relaxed. This detachment allows for a better give and take on the topic in question.

The issues are the same but the resolution is easier with virtual mediation.

Divorcing couples using virtual divorce mediation experience a shortened timeframe especially when compared to couples who have hired lawyers to represent them. When financial documents need to be examined, the parties use email. When a settlement is reached, the parties get the draft agreement promptly and when the final agreement is prepared the other legal forms can be sent via email as attachments.  

The benefits of using virtual divorce mediation are optimized for those who no longer live in the same community as their ex-spouse. You do not need to travel long distances to attend Court hearings or to meet with your ex to discuss the case. You do not need to have a lawyer represent you. Instead, you can negotiate on your own behalf using the technology of virtual Mediation to accomplish everything necessary to obtain a divorce.

There is another advantage to virtual mediation: the hourly fees charged are lower.

Virtual divorce mediation allows you to obtain quality professional facilitation for your case no matter where you live or where the case is filed. Those living in rural areas or who live in a small town which does not have a large enough population to support a full-time professional mediator can now find the best mediator for their case. Those living in urban areas do not need to pay the high legal fees charged in high-rent offices to obtain professional help because you can find a skilled Virtual Mediator with modest fees and lower overhead.

Finding a Virtual Mediator is like shopping over the internet for the best services and best deal.

All in all, virtual divorce mediation provides an effective and “user-friendly” alternative to the difficult, financially expensive and emotionally costly process most people associate with divorce. It empowers the parties to craft the terms of their divorce at their own pace and in the convenience of their own homes. While going through a divorce may still feel overwhelming and be fraught with challenges, Virtual divorce mediation offers parties the methodology to reach a fair divorce settlement with as little hassle as possible.