Arizona Mediation for Divorce

In all states, divorce has to be decreed by a court for it to be legal. However, without doing the courtroom divorce, couples can easily have a calmer, more agreeable divorce where they make the decisions rather than letting the judge do so. Through mediation, this is being achieved more and more. There are a ton of benefits to mediation and couples are seeing this with wide open eyes. Having a trained mediator is helping them to resolve conflicts and calmly agree on the terms of the divorce.

Although Arizona counties have different requirements for mediators, there are no rules or guides for a mediator to follow as far as state certification, etc. Most of the courts do insist that 40 hours at the very least of training and experience be completed by the mediator before he or she practices. This includes family issues for those who are going to be mediating divorces.

Typically, mediation promotes a calm environment where the couple works together to make decisions without the battle and theatrics of the courtroom. They also save attorney fees, as an attorney is not required for mediation; couples can decide to have an attorney present however. The mediator acts as a neutral third party which ‘buffers’ the decision making regarding the children, property division, alimony and other matters which need to be decided upon divorce. The different county courts in Arizona are Apache, Conchise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai and Yuma.

No other court than the Supreme Court can grant a divorce in Arizona and it’s called ‘dissolution of marriage.’ The papers and other things needed to begin the divorce are filed in the county where either spouse lives. Instead of granting a divorce to one spouse or the other, the status of the marriage simply changes. In order for divorce to be granted, couples have to show that the marriage is not reparable and that there is no chance of fixing it. Couples no longer have to use blame or proof that one or the other has ruined the marriage.

If a marriage is considered a covenant marriage, the law of Arizona states that couples do have to establish blame. This can be done by proving that one partner cheated on the other or has inflicted any form of abuse on the other or has abandoned the other spouse. Mediators are able to deduce whether your divorce will require this kind of proof. This marriage is only available in Arizona, Louisiana and Arkansas. This type of marriage is different than a typical marriage as it has larger requirements for union.

You can find a mediator which has impressive experience and can really help you with the divorce process by checking with the State Bar Association of Arizona. You will find attorneys, counselors and therapists that are mediators. There are even social workers and financial experts that you can have mediate your divorce. There are many resources to find information in Arizona including the internet and even certain helpful legal organizations dedicated to providing low cost or free services.