Mediation: Divorce, Recession Style

Depending on where you live, the divorce rate is either way up or way down.  Statistically, here in the Untied States it seems the housing market has caused a number of couples who would have considered divorce  mediation services at this time to reconsider as the value of their home is either not what it used to be or is what is commonly referred to as “underwater’ or “upside down.”  Commonly in a divorce, the house is the largest asset subject to equitable distribution and each member of the couple uses it to either pay off debts or start a new life by purchasing another home post-settlement.  However, when the martial home is not worth what it used to be, problems can occur and couples can be forced to take drastic measures.

Take this article from the Santa Barbara Independent.  If you find yourself in a situation where you can’t afford to get divorced for whatever reason, it may help to know you are not alone.  You’ve may have read other posts on this blog where I talk about mediation techniques and today’s is what we call normalizing. Normalizing is when your mediator helps you deal with a particular situation by letting you know that others just like you are going through the same thing.  Does this change your station in life?  No.  Will it help you avoid your divorce or mediation?  No.  What it will (hopefully) do is help you feel less isolated by letting you know that while it seems like the world is out to get you and you are the only person on the planet that is feeling this exact emotion at this time, the chances are with nearly seven billion people out there, you are not and with any luck, that’s a small comfort.

And as the title of this article suggests, if you are going to divorce, mediation is not only the smarter way to divorce during a recession, it’s the smarter way to divorce period. When economic times are tight, we all concern ourselves with saving money.  But why should that be only when times are tight?  If you knew you could get the exact same results, in less time, with less stress and save $20,000 in the process, wouldn’t you do it?  That’s exactly how divorce mediation compares to traditional attorney driven divorces and one of the many benefits of mediation.  So while the value of your home might not be what it used to be, at least your bank account doesn’t have to suffer the strain of a long, drawn out battle in court.

You owe it to yourself and your children to learn more about divorce mediation and we can help you do that with a free, no-obligation consultation in one of our six central New Jersey office locations.  Simply fill out the form on our website and we’ll get back to you with a day and time that works for you and your spouse to come in and learn more.  And if you’re not exactly ready just yet, that’s OK too.  Simply visit the Equitable Mediation Services website to learn more and contact us when you’re ready.  We look forward to helping you get through your divorce as peacefully, efficiently and with as little impact to you and your family as possible.