Greenville Mediation Lawyers

Finding the Best Path Forward in Your Divorce

When most people hear the word "divorce," they immediately picture a worst-case scenario—a long, drawn-out battle in the courtroom that ends with one (or both) parties feeling bitter and frustrated. But that doesn't have to be your story.

Mediation gives spouses the opportunity to compromise on terms for their divorce and come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. At Blood Law, PLLC, our Greenville mediation attorneys will work with you to ensure your rights remain protected and you pursue a positive outcome in your divorce.

Contact us online or via phone at (704) 286-0570 to schedule a consultation with our team.

What Is Mediation?

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). During mediation, a neutral third party (the mediator) attempts to help two parties agree on mutually beneficial terms for their divorce.

When you file for divorce, you can either file for a contested or uncontested divorce. To file for an uncontested divorce, you must agree with your spouse on terms for the divorce. If you disagree with your spouse on how to handle any divorce-related process (property division, alimony, child custody and support, etc.), you must file for a contested divorce.

If you fail to compromise with your spouse on a certain divorce-related process, the court can ultimately decide that issue on your behalf through a trial. This is often seen as a worst-case scenario by both courts and attorneys since when the court decides a divorce, neither party has direct control over the outcome.

To that end, courts often require spouses to try and use a form of ADR to resolve their differences before allowing them to continue their divorce in court. Mediation is perhaps the most popular form of ADR in South Carolina.

How Does Mediation Work?

During mediation, you and your spouse have a series of meetings with a mediator, who acts as a neutral third party. The mediator will try and cultivate a mutually beneficial compromise between the two of you for various divorce-related processes.

During mediation, the mediator cannot give either party legal advice. If you want to obtain legal counsel, you must hire your own mediation lawyer. However, you do not need a mediation lawyer to engage in mediation—you can self-represent yourself instead, although it's not advised. A mediation lawyer can help you defend your rights and pursue an outcome you'll be happy with long-term.

Once you finish negotiating terms with your spouse and you've agreed on how to handle every aspect of your divorce, you'll sign a divorce agreement together that lays out the details of your arrangement. You can then take the agreement to a court, where a judge will look it over to verify its integrity and sign it, finalizing the divorce.

Why Should I Use Mediation?

Mediation has a slew of benefits:

• It's cost-effective. Since mediation happens out of court and tends to be a quick process (some mediations only last one session), you can save thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars through using mediation.
• It's more amicable. During mediation, you collaborate with your soon-to-be-ex in good faith. Many people find this helps them maintain a positive relationship with their spouse, which can be invaluable if you share a child together, work together, or just want to remain friends.
• It's more private. Because mediation occurs outside of the courtroom, nothing you discuss during your mediation will be on the public record. That's not necessarily the case if you decide to have a contested divorce in court.

At Blood Law, PLLC, our Greenville mediation lawyers can help you use mediation to achieve a positive outcome in your divorce.

To schedule a consultation with our team or learn more about our divorce-related services, contact us online or via phone at (704) 286-0570.