Divorce is often a choice that takes people months, if not years, to finally make. Different people have different reasons for putting off the decision to file for divorce despite realizing how unhealthy their marriage has become.
For some people, the possibility of less time with their children leads to them putting off a divorce filing. For others, the expenses of a divorce and the loss of personal property will make them second-guess their choice until they truly cannot delay the end of their marriage any longer. For some individuals, it is the embarrassment of divorce that keeps them from filing quickly.
Especially when someone is in a high-profile position within their community, the prospect of ending their marriage might seem like a risk to their reputation. Those divorcing because of bad behavior within the marriage may also worry about the notoriety that could come from discussing infidelity, abuse or addiction in the family courts. If your privacy is one of the issues keeping you trapped in an unhappy marriage, mediation might be the right solution for you.
Mediation is private under Indiana law
With rare exceptions, mediation sessions in Indiana are typically confidential. You can talk in-depth about marital issues and personal, private matters without your discussions becoming part of the public record. Unlike testimony in family court, conversations held during a mediation session aren’t open for the public to attend and don’t result in written transcripts.
You have the opportunity to discuss any major issues that have affected your family life, health or finances to secure a fair outcome without airing all of your dirty laundry in public. Only your agreement ends up in court. A successful mediation session results in a written agreement between the divorcing spouses. They can submit that agreement to the courts to allow for a much smoother division of their personal property and allocation of parental responsibilities if they share children.
A successful family law mediation session will lead to an uncontested divorce, which will be fast, private and cost-effective in most cases. Considering different tools to support you during the end of your marriage can facilitate a cleaner divorce process.