Mediation & Marital Settlement agreements

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In every divorce or Family Law support case, the court will require that spouses attempt to reach an agreement in mediation, prior to the case proceeding to trial. Consequentially, many cases do end up being able to be resolved in mediation or shortly thereafter. There are many reasons that the Courts prefer parties to attempt to mediate issues prior to proceeding to trial. Not only does it conserve judicial resources, but it also allows the people who have the best understanding of their family’s dynamics to resolve the disputes in a manner that is most beneficial for their family. Anton Garcia Law has a team of experienced Tampa Mediation Lawyers to help reach a fair settlement.

Going to trial can be very expensive. There are family law cases that can take years to litigate and end up resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Even in less extreme cases, the cost of trial can cost tens of thousands of dollars at the very minimum. Every dollar spent at trial ends up being money that could go to support your children or even you, following your divorce or support case.

What most people do not know about family law, is that most records, as long as they are filed with the court can become public record. For many people, that is not typically a problem, however, there are some things that are better off keeping private. One large benefit of mediation is that most everything that is said in mediation is often confidential. This allows parties to focus on addressing underlying issues and having the confidence to completely disclose real concerns without the fear of judgment or prejudice by a judge. There is a sense of relief that can be gained by working through issues without worrying about speculation from outsiders.

When you are in mediation you have a level of control over the outcome. You will have more of an ability to prioritize issues and strategize different ways to resolve issues. Going to court can sometimes feel as if you are handing the judge a blank check and hoping that he or she is able to come up with the most fair and practical outcome. Resolving even some of your issues in mediation can allow you to feel more secure in proceeding by allowing you to litigate fewer issues, lowering the cost of the litigation, and alleviating some uncertainty of the outcome as a whole.

There is a saying that litigation comes in the form of three different costs— time, money, and emotion. Litigation can be expensive, time consuming, and emotionally draining. Even in instances where people proceed to trial, there is always a risk that they will incur higher attorney’s fees, it will take more time, and will cause them to suffer emotionally. It is important for clients to weigh the costs and benefits of going to trial. For many, Mediation gives parties an opportunity to suffer less overall ‘cost.’

We understand how much is at stake in your Family Law case, but that does not always mean that you will face contemptuous battles. We always encourage our clients to consider the benefits of mediation and settling their case first and saving trial for higher-conflict cases. We know that coming to an amiable agreement is almost always the better way to go.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our team of Tampa Family Law attorneys today at (813) 907-9807 or request a consultation, so we can get started on resolving your Family Law issues in the best manner possible.