When facing divorce, images of drawn out court battles and contentious litigation often come to mind. That does not always have to be the case, however, as the traditional path of litigation is often avoidable in divorce proceedings. An experienced MetroWest Boston divorce lawyer would be able to explain possible alternatives to litigation, such as mediation and arbitration.
The recent divorce of Track Palin and his high school sweetheart shows that not all divorces have to involve contentious litigation. Track, the son of Sarah Palin, and his wife filed for divorce on December 1. They have reportedly already come to an agreement on the terms of their property settlement and child custody arrangement.
Palin will be keeping his $1,000 gun collection and $30,000 bank account. His wife will be keeping her $2,500 bank account and $4,000 worth of jewelry. The parents will share legal custody of their 1-year-old daughter.
It is unknown whether the pair utilized alternative dispute resolution to come to the terms of their agreement. However, Massachusetts couples should know that there are various types of alternative dispute resolution available to help streamline the divorce process. This can help alleviate stress and avoid time-consuming litigation.
A commonly employed form of alternative dispute resolution in a divorce is mediation. In the process, an impartial third-party mediator helps to resolve disputes between the parties and promote a voluntary agreement. Mediators can help settle property division disputes, child custody arrangements and a variety of other issues that may arise in a divorce. The overall goal of mediation is to avoid contentious litigation to obtain an equitable, mutually acceptable divorce agreement. This can help to both minimize hostility between the parties and avoid post-divorce controversy.
Source: Huffington Post, “Track Palin and wife Britta settle property and custody disputes: report,” Dec. 13, 2012