California is a community property state. This means that all marital property is typically split 50/50 in divorce. Spouses who wish to avoid lengthy litigation processes are often able to use divorce mediation as an alternate form of dispute resolution to achieve fair settlements in an amicable fashion. There are ground rules to which both parties must agree before this option can be exercised.
Many people who agree to mediation have common goals in mind. Often, one of the main goals is to avoid confrontation and courtroom conflicts. To enter mediation, both spouses must agree to discuss all pertinent issues in a peaceful manner with a willingness to cooperate and compromise to protect the best interests of all involved.
Another common goal for those who opt to mediate their divorces is to achieve settlement in the most economically feasible way possible. Divorce costs money but the mediation process is known for being less expensive than litigation. When finances are a high priority, alternative dispute resolution is often the way to go to save money.
Divorce mediation definitely is not the best choice for every couple. An experienced California family law attorney can help a client review his or her case to determine whether it is worth giving mediation at try. Many people are able to avoid going to court when they divorce. However, a benefit of the mediation process is that spouses can convert to litigation at any point along the way if they find that they are unable to resolve their differences during mediated sessions.