If you’re going through a divorce, or ending a significant relationship, you know it is a challenging emotional process for all involved. Mediation allows you to acknowledge the pain of this ending and begin the process of moving forward in your separate lives.

At Mediation Associates, LLC, we understand the emotional, social and financial implications of ending a significant relationship. Through respectful communication guided by the mediator, together you work through the difficult decisions that have to be made.

Working collaboratively with your former partner:

• You control what happens with your children and your assets
• You establish a new working relationship with each other and with your mutual friends and family
• You limit the role of lawyers, judges and others in having control of the intimate details of your divorce

Choosing mediation to resolve issues in divorce allows you to move forward in the best interest of all involved – including you!

What to expect

The many decisions in the divorce process and in ending your significant relationship of the past can feel overwhelming. In mediation we help you keep your focus on the present and towards the future. We will assist you and your former partner to communicate your needs and decide together:

• How to divide assets
• The arrangement for your kids’ care and support
• How to divide debt
• An agreement regarding pets
• How to sustain a future working relationship if necessary

Benefits That Come From Mediating Your Divorce:

• Puts you in control rather than a lawyer or judge
• Focus is on the present and future rather than remaining stuck and retaliatory
• Self respect remains intact
• Your investment strengthens each of your commitments to the agreement you reach together

Mediation can offer you the support and communication tools to get you through this difficult emotional process as long as you’re willing to enter into the process of resolving the issues in good faith.

What about my children?

How you parent and how you work with your ex-spouse throughout and after the divorce process will contribute significantly to how your child(ren) will respond to your divorce and their resilience to its effects. Your relationship with each other as parents does not end with divorce.

Benefits of mediating your divorce if children are involved:

• Establishes a foundation for continued co-parenting
• Provides skills to help reduce conflict for now and in the future
• Studies show non-residential parents’ involvement with their kids occurs more frequently than with litigated divorces.

Parenting Plans

In mediation, we will help you devise a Parenting Plan. This is a legal agreement that delineates a clear, specific schedule for your child or children as well as guidelines for each parent's responsibilities and role in decision-making regarding the child or children. The success of a Parenting Plan depends on how well you work together to make it a working plan and how well you follow through with the agreement.

There are many factors that you will take into consideration when devising your Parenting Plan. These may include but are not limited to:

• Scheduling - whose house when
• Vacations – yours and the child’s
• Child Support
• Health Insurance
• Parental decision-making – education, health care, spiritual development, etc.
• Periodic review of the Parenting Plan
• Change of Residence
• Dispute Resolution

Child Support

All parenting plans for children must have an accompanying child support calculation and an agreement or order for the support of the minor children.

Child support calculations are regulated in Montana – the calculation of child support each parent will provide is based on a formula called the Montana Child Support Guidelines

We can calculate child support after all financial information is gathered.

Health insurance

Health insurance coverage is required under most circumstances when parents are divorced. The State of Montana’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may offer assistance to families of modest income.