Joplin Divorce Mediation Lawyer

Mediation has allowed many Missouri couples to negotiate divorce terms in a structured setting with the help of a neutral mediator, instead of trying to litigate every issue. A Joplin divorce mediation lawyer can help you understand your options before big decisions are made about your family or finances.

Individuals located near Downtown Joplin, along Interstate 44, or who own businesses that serve the region should consider learning more about how the process works. Mediation isn’t right for every couple, but it can provide an efficient path for resolving many aspects of a divorce.

Experienced Leadership You Can Trust

Bundy serves clients throughout Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas in high-level family law matters. Aaron Bundy is the only Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) in Oklahoma.

The IAFL is an invitation-only organization. Its members include a small number of attorneys from around the world with significant experience handling complex family law and international cases, including matters involving the Hague Convention.

The firm’s leadership includes Fellows of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) as well as attorneys recognized with honors, including Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers, and Lawdragon. Members of each of these organizations have been rigorously screened and have been found to have significant experience handling challenging family law cases that involve substantial legal and financial issues.*

What Is Covered in Divorce Mediation?

In general, a divorce mediation case can include just about every issue that needs to be decided before a divorce is final. During mediation, divorcing couples, guided by a neutral third party, engage in discussions to address unresolved matters and aim for a resolution.

The mediator is not there to make decisions for either spouse, but instead works to help facilitate constructive negotiations. The spouses control the process and are looking for ways to reach mutually acceptable resolutions to the issues that they can later submit to the court.

Some common topics to be discussed in divorce mediation include: 

• Property division
• Child custody
• Child support
• Spousal support
• Business ownership
• Retirement accounts
• Real estate allocation

In Joplin and elsewhere in Missouri, the local courthouse where most divorce cases are filed is the Jasper County Circuit Court, 302 South Main Street, Joplin, MO 64801. In Missouri, the divorce rate is 2.6 per 1,000 residents, at times requiring mediation.

Who Should Consider Mediation?

Mediation is usually most successful when both parties are willing to attend and participate in the process in good faith. This includes a willingness to exchange complete financial information.

For mediation to work, couples must be capable of talking respectfully even when they disagree about important issues. Mediation can often provide a way to reach agreements while still maintaining a significant degree of control over the outcome.

Business owners, professionals, executives, and others with larger marital estates may also benefit from mediation because it allows additional time for more fully understanding and evaluating complex financial issues. About 5% of Joplin households make more than $200,000 a year. Divorces involving more assets can benefit from mediation.

Mediation is not a solution for every divorce case. Mediation is unlikely to succeed when a spouse withholds complete financial disclosure, intentionally stalls the proceedings, or refuses to engage in honest negotiation.

In situations involving domestic violence, controlling behavior, or a significant power imbalance between spouses, a judge’s intervention may be necessary to protect everyone’s safety and interests.

Hire a Divorce Mediation Lawyer

Although divorce mediators can facilitate the negotiation process, mediators do not provide legal advice or representation for either spouse. When you hire a divorce mediation lawyer, they can provide you with the legal assistance that you need.

They can look at the facts of your divorce and see that your wishes are advocated for and that your child’s best interests are considered, if you have children.

A Joplin divorce mediation attorney can also provide a legal analysis of whether complex assets have been properly identified and valued. Your attorney understands divorce mediation laws and can help you understand them as well so you are prepared.

FAQs

What Should I Bring to Mediation?

You should bring documents related to the issues being discussed during mediation. This usually includes financial records. Documents that may be useful include:

• Tax returns
• Pay stubs
• Bank statements
• Retirement accounts
• Mortgage documents
• Documents related to any investments you own
• A list of assets and debts

If children are involved, the parties may want to bring a proposed parenting schedule or calendar to facilitate discussion.

Who Pays the Costs of Mediation?

Who pays the costs of mediation depends on the couple’s legal situation. In most cases, both spouses pay for mediation, but how much each person pays may depend on the circumstances or a court order.

Some couples agree to split the mediator’s fees down the middle, while others may choose to negotiate a different arrangement as part of the overall divorce settlement. Each party is typically responsible for their own attorney’s fees, unless another arrangement is agreed to.

What Questions Do They Ask You in Mediation?

The questions they ask in mediation include:

• Each person’s financial situation
• What’s most important regarding children
• What you own and owe
• What you hope to achieve in settling the divorce.
• What you and your spouse see eye-to-eye on and where you differ, particularly on points where you’re open to finding middle ground.

The questions are not intended to determine who is right or wrong, but rather to facilitate productive discussions and identify practical solutions.

Are All Parties in the Same Room During Mediation?

All parties are not always in the same room during mediation. Some mediations are held with both spouses in the same room. Others are conducted with the parties in separate rooms and the mediator shuttling between them to communicate offers and discuss potential solutions. The latter approach may be used in certain situations, such as when communication is particularly difficult, or emotions are running high.

Discuss Your Case With Bundy Today

At Bundy, we assist clients in family law matters, including divorce. Our Joplin family lawyers can help you in your case and see if mediation is right for you. Contact us today for more information.

*Awards and recognition are not guarantees of future results. Selection criteria vary by organization.