"I want to mediate my divorce, but my spouse is so full of bitterness and anger that he refuses. What can I do?"

In order to mediate a divorce prior to filing, both parties must agree. In some cases, a party who is extremely angry and bitter will agree to try and set aside those feelings and work toward a resolution. This is not always the case. But that does not mean that the divorce must become an extremely expensive, contested, drawn-out court battle. Once a divorce case is filed, a judge will order divorce mediation at some point during the case, usually after the parties have completed discovery. By hiring a divorce lawyer who shares your objective to work towards a resolution and avoid litigation if at all possible, you may increase your chances of resolving the divorce peacefully, with or without divorce mediation.

Lori Barkus is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator and Circuit Civil Mediator and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals as well as a member of the Board of Directors for the Collaborative Family Lawyers of South Florida. Her office is located in Weston, FL. This divorce attorney can be reached at (954) 349-7988. View her Divorce Magazine profile.