How Long Does Divorce Mediation Take?

Mediated divorces are generally much less expensive than court litigation, and a big factor that goes into that is that they take significantly less time to complete, meaning fewer legal fees. But exactly how long can you expect the mediation process to take?

Every divorce is different, of course, so here are some of the factors you can expect to play a role in the length of your mediation:

• Attitude: Attitude is crucial in the mediation process, and perhaps the most important factor that goes into determining its length. Couples who are more willing to compromise and who come into the mediation sessions with an open mind and positive attitude will generally be rewarded by the mediation process. On the flip side, mediation will become far more difficult and grueling if the couple comes in unwilling to make any compromises or with a bad attitude about the process of mediation.
• Number of assets: The more assets you have, the longer it will take to settle on arrangements for their distribution.
• Total number of contested issues: If you’ve already agreed on most of the issues in your divorce, your mediation won’t take nearly as long as it would if all of the issues are contested.
• Children: If you have children, you’ll need to discuss child custody arrangements during mediation, which can quickly become a contentious issue. In most cases, it’s easier for mediation to produce compromises on financial or asset-related matters than matters related to child custody and child support, so expect to spend a significant amount of time discussing custody arrangements and what’s in the best interests of the children.

For more information on the factors that influence how long your divorce mediation will take, speak with a trusted Long Island divorce attorney at Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.