IS
YOUR MARRIAGE FALLING APART?
John felt his world was caving in when Sheila left him.
She had an internet romance that John didn't know
anything about until she moved out. "What about our
kids? Is she gone for good?"
Sally could barely stand to continue to live with Bob
after they decided to divorce. "I bet he's reading my
emails, and I know he's listening to my phone messages,
checking my cell calls, and reading my mail. I don't
have any privacy at all. He comes over without calling
first, especially if I have a guest. When will this
harassment end?"
John and Cindy thought they would have an amicable
divorce, but neither knew what the other wanted. When
John found out Cindy wanted both lake cottages, he felt
that was unfair. When Cindy learned that John wanted
their boat, she was furious. "We'll never see
eye-to-eye."
These couples decided to try divorce mediation with
Janet Mitchell. The neutral mediator sat down with each
couple, and listed the topics to be decided. Each issue
was evaluated, and options were generated, with the
husband and wife reaching an agreement that both can
live with. By having a third party there to ensure
civility, John and Sheila were able to plan their
parenting, as well as divide their assets fairly. Sally
and Bob agreed on a set of privacy rules that helped to
lower their animosity. John and Cindy were able to
reach a workable agreement that both could live with.
Mediation works because the focus is on finding an
agreement that the other will accept as well--on
mutually deciding the future of finances and children,
while promoting respect for each other. Becoming an
effective co-parenting team through mediation is a
reachable goal. A court battle breeds the opposite
behavior, with life-long consequences for the families
experiencing an adversarial divorce. Some divorcing
couples in
Indiana have spent over $100,000 in attorneys'
fees without resolving their underlying issues.
Children benefit from having parents work together to
become an effective co-parenting team emotionally and
financially.
Splitting up can be very difficult, and involve many
unanticipated complications. But because divorce is
hard, Janet Mitchell is here to help you.
