Mediation for Long Distance Divorces

For spouses who are going through a divorce, mediation can help the couple reach a resolution much faster and more cost effectively than traditional litigation. Mediation is a voluntary process in which the spouses work out the terms and conditions of their divorce with the help and guidance of a neutral, third-party mediator. This process can work for just about any couple, as long as the spouses are willing to cooperate. Mediation can even be used for long distance divorces in which the spouses are a significant distance apart from each other.

Virtual Mediation to Bridge the Distance Gap

Many divorcing couples no longer live near each other. At the time they decided the marriage was over, one spouse may have moved out of the area. In other cases, the spouse may have accepted a job in another part of the country, which may have even been a contributing factor to the separation in the first place. There are also many military couples who have one of the spouses deployed overseas on active duty. 

For these and other long-distance scenarios, couples can still take advantage of the benefits of mediating their divorce. Through today’s technology, participants can be virtually anywhere in the world when mediation sessions are held. All that is needed is a stable internet connection to communicate through a medium such as Skype, or the ability to make a long-distance phone call. As long as the mediator and other participants can hear each other, virtual divorce mediation can be used successfully.

Advantages of Virtual Mediation

For many couples, long-distance mediation can work better than being in the same physical location together. Here are just a few of the reasons people may prefer virtual mediation:

Busy on-the-go Lifestyles

In today’s society, people have busy schedules. Some professionals travel a lot for work and others just have a lot of obligations; such as work, taking care of aging parents, doing volunteer work, etc.  With a packed schedule, it is hard to find time to travel to a specified location for the mediation session.  With virtual mediation, this problem is solved. Whenever you have a spare hour or so, you can just call in or connect from wherever you are.

Ability to Facilitate Multiparty Discussions

There are times when it is appropriate to involve multiple participants in a divorce mediation.  For example, in more complex cases, you may need the assistance of various financial professionals to work through some of the more complicated economic issues. Some participants may also want others to join (such as adult children or other family members) to provide input or moral support.  Virtual mediation makes it much easier to facilitate a session that requires multiple participants.

Reduced Tension

Divorce is a stressful and life changing event by its very nature.  This stress can get in the way of working cooperatively to reach a peaceable divorce resolution, which means the next step might be a costly and protracted litigation proceeding.

Before going that route, virtual mediation is worth a try. In many cases, being in separate locations can be just the solution you need to overcome this issue. Spouses can feel more comfortable and at ease as they speak to the mediator and the other spouse, and this puts them in a much better position to succeed with divorce mediation.