You have probably heard plenty of horror stories about divorces gone wrong. In these stories, the spouses fight for years over the smallest details, often bickering in open court. Even though you have plenty of reasons for wanting to end your marriage, you have never been one to sling mud.
Because your marriage has broken down, you may not know what your soon-to-be ex-spouse is thinking. Will he or she try to argue over property division? What about custody of your children? Luckily, your divorce does not have to become a brawl. Here are three signs your spouse is open to mediating your divorce.
1. He or she wants to save some money
According to reporting from the Ascent, the average cost of divorce in the U.S. is nearly $13,000, with fights over children and alimony raising its price tag even more. Because divorce mediation is often considerably less expensive, your spouse may go for it to save some serious cash.
2. He or she wants to protect the kids
Divorce can take an extreme toll on the mental health of everyone in the family, including your kids. If your husband or wife wants to protect the kids from an all-out battle, he or she may decide to opt for divorce mediation.
3. He or she is ready to move on with life
Even though divorce usually cannot happen in a day or two, ending a marriage also does not have to take forever. Divorce mediation typically proceeds much more quickly than litigation. Therefore, if your spouse wants to move on with life, he or she may be willing to participate in it.
Ultimately, if you do not want to read tea leaves to determine whether your spouse may be open to mediation, there is probably no harm in simply asking for it.
