Although mediation may seem informal, it is a legal process through which individuals may settle their differences and emerge with binding agreements that dictate how they will interact in the future. California couples may choose to use mediation to settle some or all of their divorce-related disputes. In particular, some couples choose to use mediation to set up plans for alimony.
When a California court reviews an individual’s request for alimony or spousal support from his or her former spouse, it looks at a variety of factors that are expressed in the laws of the state. Individuals who choose to mediate their alimony requests may consider and negotiate spousal support settlements based on those factors as well.
Factors such as the length of a marriage, whether one spouse stopped working outside of the home in order to manage the household, and other factors can influence if and how much alimony a requesting individual will receive. A couple’s standard of living, income, debts and age can also be considered in setting alimony amounts. If a couple is unable to come up with an alimony schedule that satisfies both of the individuals’ needs, then that couple may choose to move its alimony dispute to a family court and have it settled by a California judge.
Mediation can be used to settle child support and custody disputes, property division disagreements, and other issues related to the end of a marriage. Individuals who wish to use mediation for the settlement of their divorce-related problems can seek out the assistance of mediation attorneys who focus their practices on matters of family law. As mediation is used in many other fields of law, it is important that those who seek to use mediation find mediation lawyers who can address their specific needs.
