Are There Court-Mandated Mediation Sessions in Tennessee?

You may have had difficulty seeing eye-to-eye with your spouse when you were married. Therefore, you may have reason to believe that negotiating a divorce settlement agreement via mediation may not be in the cards. Rather, you may want to skip to your litigated divorce proceedings and put this behind you as soon as possible. But you may be surprised to learn that the Tennessee family court may expect mediation from you and your spouse. Read on to discover whether mediation sessions are court-mandated in the state of Tennessee and how one of the seasoned Clarksville divorce lawyers at Fendley and Etson can help you get through this step.

Are there court-ordered mediation sessions in Tennessee divorces?

Generally speaking, the Tennessee family court may mandate divorcing couples to attend one or more mediation sessions. This may especially apply if the divorcing couple shares children, but this is not the exclusive reason.

The goal is to settle contested divorce-related issues (i.e., alimony, child support, child custody, and property division) with the guidance of a court-ordered mediator. But if still not possible, then litigate court proceedings may commence.

What are the pros and cons of these mediation sessions?

You may initially think attending mediation sessions is a significant waste of time. But it is arguably almost worth giving it a shot. In fact, alternative dispute resolutions like mediation are oftentimes preferred by divorcing couples in the state of Tennessee. This is all to say that it is up to you and your spouse to determine whether the pros outweigh its cons, and therefore whether you want to put in the effort to make this work. Namely, the most notable pros and cons are as follows:

• Notable pros of court-ordered mediation sessions:
  • You and your spouse may save time and money in what is known to be the extensive and expensive litigated divorce process.
  • You and your spouse may learn pivotal communication and negotiation skills needed to eventually co-parent your shared children.
  • You and your spouse may maintain control over your divorce settlement agreement all while keeping it private from the public eye.
• Notable cons of court-ordered mediation sessions:
  • You and your spouse may have unresolved power dynamics or other issues that may be forced to the forefront of your sessions.
  • You and your spouse may still be reeling from your decision to part ways and be unwilling to enter forced communications.
  • You and your spouse may still be unsuccessful at resolving your issues and only just delay the finalization of your divorce.

If the cons of court-issued mediation are too consequential in your eyes, you may want to file a petition with the Tennessee family court to be released from this order. In conclusion, the time to act is now. Please pick up the phone and call one of the competent Clarksville family lawyers from Fendley and Etson. We look forward to hearing from you.