By choosing divorce mediation, you and your spouse can work things out cooperatively, rather than engaging in an expensive and stressful legal contest.

You create your own agreement, rather than allowing others to make decisions for you. The agreement that you design in mediation includes everything that is important to you. In mediation, unlike in court, there are no surprises. The discussion continues until each of you is convinced that the agreement will work for you.

You set the pace. You won't be frustrated by court delays or pressured to meet court-imposed deadlines. Your mediation can proceed as slowly, or as rapidly, as you choose.

You maintain your privacy by staying away from the courthouse. The mediators are responsible for all contacts with the court, so that you can get your divorce negotiated and the paperwork done in an office.

If you have children, the mediators help you design a parenting plan that works for your family. You have time to try out different parenting plans, before you sign an agreement.

Mediation lessens the tension between the two of you and enables you to work together as parents, and even to remain friends, if you wish.

You get your "day in court," a chance to be heard, in a private setting. The mediators listen, and your spouse listens too. Because mediation is focused on the future, everyone seaches for solutions, rather than dwelling on the past. The result is a positive process, where you move forward, rather than getting stuck in the past.

Some of the benefits of mediation include:

Control over the outcome
Cost savings
Control over the timing
Privacy
An opportunity to design a settlement agreement that is specific to your family's needs