How to get a Cheap-Fast Divorce

            In Florida, a cheap-fast divorce can be obtained if you hire the right kind of attorney. Attorneys who are also Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediators, will be your most valuable connection to getting a divorce quickly and without spending a lot of money. When parties planning their divorce remain on friendly terms, it is extremely likely that they will resolve their disputes with the help of Mediator.

          FIRST

• Remember that even if the professional who will conduct your Mediation is an attorney, the attorney will not be allowed to give either party any legal advice. This is an important concept to understand. Parties need to come to the negotiating table having knowledge about the law and know what they can and cannot do in a divorce case. Remember, a Judge is going to review whatever agreements you make.

         SECOND

• Parites must be committed to, “laying all of their cards on the table” at Mediation. Meaningful settlement negotiations at Mediation seriously cuts through the red tape and expedites the process so that couples can avoid the trappings of paying high legal fees when each party hires their own lawyers. After doing your homework and getting prepared to negotiate, a settlement is only possible if both parties have been completely honest with each other. Most people can write out a list of their priorities before coming to Mediation which then helps to identify what kinds of goals you want to have in settling your case.

         THIRD

• An experienced lawyer who is the Mediator, can make suggestions during the Mediation to move things along in the right direction.  I once conducted a Mediation whereby the parties clearly needed help overcoming a stumbling block regarding how to parent their children. I explained to them that if they were to go to Court, there certainly could be a risk that the Judge would not give either party what they wanted, and the Judge could make a ruling that neither wanted. Providing this information proved helpful as the parties then realized what was at stake and came to their own agreement as to parenting so as to avoid going to Court. This has happened many times.

Here's the best part of going to a Mediation with an experienced, State of Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator who is also a family law attorney: the lawyer can take all of your agreements from the Mediation and draft an agreement and a parenting plan for both parties to sign. In case after case, I have seen parties who are going through a divorce, recognize how long the process would take and how much money would go out the window if they took their case to trial. These same individuals were at each other throats only weeks before their Mediation until they recognized that an inexpensive divorce could occur with the right kind of guidance.

Instead of each party spending thousands of dollars over many months, a cost-effective divorce can occur in a short period of time when there is a joint commitment to work hard for a settlement. Remember, no one ever gets 100% of what they want in any family law case. It is far better to spend your money wisely, in a Mediation, reaching agreements than fighting indefinitely with no guarantee of an outcome.  And, with no outcome, you end up going to Court and having a total stranger decide your fate.  Not a wise choice!