When you decided to adopt, did you ever expect that it would be such a lengthy and litigious process? Many people are surprised to find that adoption is a significant part of family law. In fact, adoption attorneys play a critical role in every single adoption. While many agencies will arrange for the necessary legal services, things are trickier when you are involved in an independent adoption.
If you find the prospect of all this legal wrangling too much to bear, then it's time to stop worrying! We want to help prospective adoptive parents to get through this process so that they can provide a caring and loving home to the children who need it the most. We'll give you the information you need to prepare for the legal side of adoption, in terms that will (hopefully!) demystify the entire affair.
When parties in a divorce cannot agree on a few key issues, things can get both contentious and expensive. That's because the parties must leave it up to the judge to referee the courtroom battles. There is, however, another way of doing things and it may work for you. Read on to find out more about navigating a divorce mediation the right way.
1. Be on the same page: Both parties have to be willing to compromise and work together to form a workable agreement. If one party is not on board with mediation, the chances of success are minimal.
2. Identify the issues before you begin: There will be issues that are non-negotiable but try to keep these to a minimum. Decide with each other what will be worked out in mediation. For instance, you might agree to work on child custody and alimony issues.
3. Stay on topic: Mediation involves taking the issues on one at a time and resolving that issue before moving on to others. You can expect the divorce mediator to pull you back when things go off-topic.
4. Be open-minded: The mediator may ask you and your spouse to trade sides as a way of looking at things from a different point of view. For example, you might be asked to imagine what it would be like to only see your child on visitation days. Doing this can bring you closer to a compromise.
5. Know your bottom line: If you do have issues that you are willing to budge from, be prepared to sacrifice in another area. For example, you might be willing to give up cash for being able to keep the investment account. Trade-offs are the name of the game with mediation.
6. Don't play the blame game: It's all too easy to end up continuing past battles during mediation. Avoid using the issues that led to the divorce as a bargaining chip during mediation. Rather than fault the other side, focus on issues that need to be resolved.
7. Keep your cool: By now most couples know how to push each other's buttons but don't resort to that type of behavior or your mediation sessions will be wasted.
8. Don't be rude: Use respectful behavior when talking things out. Don't interrupt, name call, yell, etc. Keep things civil no matter how much hurt you feel or how angry you are at your spouse. Remember the purpose of mediation is not an opportunity to open up about your feelings. Save that for therapy.
You can achieve a lot if you put some effort into your mediation sessions. To find out more about mediation to resolve your issues, contact legal services like Anthony Law Office.