Resolving Texas Divorces Through Mediation
One of the most common ways to amicably resolve a divorce is through mediation. Mediation is one of the most cost-effective and often most efficient ways of resolving divorce issues.
Using mediation to resolve your divorce can help you:
- Prevent a lengthy and costly courtroom trial
- Choose your own dates and locations for mediation
- Streamline the divorce process as much as possible
Let Us Mediate Your North Houston Divorce
At The Haston Law Firm, P.C., our lawyer Craig Haston is a trained mediator as well as a board-certified ( by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization) member of the State Bar of Texas Family Law Council. Because he has worked on hundreds of these cases in his two-plus decades of practice, he and our team are prepared to address any divorce and family law issues you may have. Even in cases where issues have been litigious, parties can prepare and move to mediation to save huge amounts of time and costs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Divorce Mediation
If you want to limit divorce conflict, have more influence over the outcome or protect your privacy, mediation may be the best option. Getting answers to your mediation questions can help you understand the divorce mediation process.
Is the mediation process legally binding in Texas?
Yes, divorce mediation can be a binding process. However, you must only uphold the terms set in mediation if you successfully reach a compromise with your spouse.
You must both sign an agreement at the end of your session(s) that includes the details of your agreement. You submit the signed agreement to the court for approval, which leads to its integration in your final divorce orders. Agreeing to mediation should empower you. You are not required to compromise if your spouse doesn’t approach the process in good faith or if you discover irregularities when reviewing disclosures.
If you do not reach an agreement, mediation is nonbinding. You can move forward with litigation or continued negotiations if you don’t sign an agreement.
What issues can divorce mediation help resolve?
You can potentially address any remaining disputes you have regarding the terms of your divorce. Economic mediation focusing on property division and financial support is common. Custody mediation, where parents discuss parenting time, visitation and legal authority, is also helpful for those with young children. You can even work with financial advisors or child development specialists to resolve your disagreements as fairly as possible.
How long does divorce mediation in Texas take?
The timeline for divorce mediation depends on the complexity of the disputes and the level of conflict between spouses. In some cases, couples can resolve their disagreements in a single mediation session. Other times, they may need multiple sessions to work through the outstanding issues for a pending divorce. Mediated divorces often require weeks or months of negotiations.
Regardless of how many mediation sessions you must attend to settle your disputes, the process is usually substantially faster than litigation. You don’t need to wait for a hearing in the family courts, which can take months, or for a judge to review financial disclosures and other evidence before entering their final orders. While you must still go to court after successfully mediating your disagreements, it is faster for the courts to approve a mediation agreement than to evaluate and rule on your disputes.
How Does Mediation Work?
During this alternative divorce process, Mr. Haston will act as a neutral third party to help you and your spouse reach an agreement. This process will lead to a binding judgment without the need to go to court. This alternative and expedient way of undertaking divorce often reduces the animosity of negotiations.
It is important for you to know that:
- During the mediation process, each side can consult with experts to clarify issues, including business valuation, real estate appraisals and child welfare.
- Family law mediation is nonbinding and confidential; what happens within the mediation process generally cannot be used as evidence or brought to a judge’s attention, should the parties pursue litigation.
- There is buy-in from both parties so settlements negotiated by the parties are more likely to avoid unwanted modification through subsequent litigation or appeal.
Call us today at 281-653-7748 to schedule a consultation with divorce mediation attorney Craig Haston. We serve clients throughout North Houston, including The Woodlands and the surrounding areas. You may also send us an email.