How Is Having a Legal Coach for Mediation Beneficial During a Divorce?

Hiring a lawyer to coach you through mediation during a divorce gives you the best of both worlds: you maintain control of the process while still having a legal expert in your corner to educate you about your rights and empower you to understand how to argue for what you want. At O’Connor Family Law, we offer experienced legal coaching that can help you navigate the mediation process and beyond.

The Benefits of Legal Coaching During Mediation

You Stay Empowered, Not Overwhelmed

Mediation is meant to be a collaborative and amicable alternative to litigation, but – it is a divorce – and emotions can run high. A mediation coach who is also a lawyer can help you strategize your most important goals and your non-negotiables, while providing you with negotiation tips to help both you and your spouse walk away feeling like it’s a win-win situation.

You’ll Understand Your Rights (and What You Might Be Leaving on the Table)

During a mediation, a mediator does not represent you or your spouse. A mediator cannot provide legal advice or tell you whether the deal you’re taking is actually good for you or not. However, a mediation coach who is a lawyer most definitely can. Having a legal coach ensures you understand what the law says, what you’re entitled to, and how any agreement will affect you long-term. 

We’ve had many people try to hire us to change a term in their divorce agreement that they subsequently found out was negative for them, but it can be very hard to change something once it is put into a final divorce judgment and approved by the Court. Having a lawyer coach you through mediation keeps the power of decision making in your hands, and ensures you are making an informed and educated decision on every item.

You’re Strategically Prepared

An experienced attorney can help you understand the complexities of the financial and long-term life decisions you will need to make during your mediation sessions. A lawyer can help you devise various strategies and proposals for you to argue based on what your spouse may get stuck on or want out of the divorce. This allows you to walk into mediation with a plan and someone you can call to ask clarifying questions during the session if something unexpected comes up or before you sign away your future on the dotted line.

You Can Keep it Amicable While Ensuring You Avoid Costly Mistakes

Good legal coaching can help you avoid the litigation process while still protecting your rights. It’s significantly more cost effective than full-contested litigation, but much safer for your and your family’s future than going it alone. You may have heard the saying, “The devil is in the details,” and there is often incredibly important language that should go into a divorce agreement (especially when it comes to finances or children) that many people don’t know about and don’t realize until it’s too late.

You’ll Have the Peace of Mind Knowing Someone Is in Your Corner

Even though mediation isn’t about “fighting,” it’s still important to feel supported and heard. A legal coach offers steady guidance so you don’t feel lost or taken advantage of. It’s like having both a cheerleader and teacher in your corner.

Connect With a Legal Coach

In short, mediation coaching from a divorce lawyer is like having a GPS while driving through unfamiliar territory. You’re still driving the car, but the GPS will tell you what is coming up and how to correct your path if you’ve made a wrong turn. If you’d like to learn more about our mediation and/or coaching services, please contact our firm today.