Divorce is hard. Worries about kids and finances can be crushing, and emotions are overwhelming. You are entering a life change that will have lasting consequences with no training or expertise, and don’t know how to protect yourself. In this vulnerable state, it is normal to reach for the familiar. Friends, family, and the media all say, “Lawyer up! You need someone to fight for you!”
According to Madison Divorce Mediation (MDM) co-founders Kimberly Ripp and Sandra Eugster, preparing for war is not the only option. “Divorce is one of the hardest ‘normal’ life events, eliciting intense emotions,” says Eugster. “And understandably so. The person you’ve lived with and trusted suddenly seems like an unknown and unpredictable entity.”
But the answer is not to go to war. Using MDM’s innovative interdisciplinary process, you and your spouse work with a full team of neutral experts.
These professionals guide you through a civil, respectful process to reach agreements that work for your whole family.
“In a traditional divorce, people are usually pitted against each other,” explains Eugster. “This makes no sense. Especially when they have children, people going through a divorce have to be able to continue to work together.”
On the team, the Attorney Mediator provides in-depth legal information but doesn’t represent either party. She, along with a mental health practitioner “Lead Mediator” and a Financial Expert use alternative dispute resolution practices to bridge differences and craft individualized agreements that will stand the test of time and set both parties up for success, post-divorce.
There is a lot to know about divorce. At MDM, the emphasis is on providing comprehensive information so individuals are equipped to make informed decisions about their own circumstances.
“Most importantly, we show couples they can benefit from working together in an out-of-court process by cultivating compassion and interacting directly with each other,” says Ripp. “We can support both parties’ interests.”
“We found that mediation was a kinder, gentler process,” says Shelly, a former client. “Divorce involves highly charged emotions — and having a facilitator helping us through those emotions was highly beneficial. We both felt supported where we needed to be — even though it was terribly hard at times.”
“We guide people from the very first action of filing, all the way through to the final hearing,” says Ripp. “We want them to always know what’s coming next so there are no surprises, and nothing gets lost in the shuffle.”
“The bottom line is, when people feel heard, understood and supported, they don’t tend to need to act out in the same way,” says Eugster. “People think they have to go into ruthless battle to get a fair outcome. That’s not true.”
Madison Divorce Mediation
(608) 474-7111 | madisondivorcemediation.com
