When going through uncontested divorce, you may wonder: can you handle this without taking your case to court?
The good news is, you can and you probably should. A court case will take up more time and money than you likely want to part with. Instead, you can look at alternative forms of handling divorce.
Mediation
Forbes discusses ways to stay out of court with alternative options for divorcing couples. This includes mediation and collaborative divorce.
Mediation typically involves one mediator who can help you and your partner talk through any issues you find difficult to discuss or come to a conclusion about on your own. They can offer unique opinions and a perspective that no one else in the situation has.
On top of that, they have the training they need to end arguments before they start, navigate difficult and sensitive topics well, and ensure that everyone feels like they had a fair chance to speak.
Collaboration
Collaborative divorce, on the other hand, involves personal representatives instead of mediators. You and your partner each have a representative and you will hold all of your meetings together. Your representatives will negotiate, walk everyone through the legal ins and outs of the split, and make sure that every party feels satisfied by the end result.
Interestingly enough, collaborative divorce attorneys may suggest that you bring a mediator into discussions, as they are not trained in de-escalation or conversation management in the same way.
In either case, you save time and money by staying out of the court system, which is a win for everyone.
