In Indiana, it only takes one to break up a marriage. Merely petitioning the Court for a decree of dissolution based on an alleged irretrievable breakdown in the marriage is sufficient to satisfy the legal grounds for divorce. However, the legal process from beginning to end, is anything but simple. It can also be emotionally draining, depending upon the issues and disputes that must be dealt with.

Most experts agree, divorce is among the most stressful events one will ever encounter. Couples who go through this unhappy tribulation are forced to divide up their lives and start anew. The financial pain and uncertainty of starting over leaves many feeling overwhelmed. To make matters worse, the legal proceedings required to accomplish this deeply personal and highly emotional task can be frustrating and expensive. The law is intended to provide a fair and equitable solution, but it often fails to deliver as promised. This can occur for a number of reasons, but often times it happens because a judge failed to follow the law by mistake or due to some unpredictable bias. Indianapolis divorce lawyers know this all too well, and often times encourage their clients to negotiate for settlement in order to avoid the uncertainty of trial.

Based on their lawyers advice, many couples opt to settle all matters without the court's intervention. In so doing, they typically save time, money and the emotional toll that comes with litigating deeply personal issues in a public forum. They also retain some element of control over the outcome by participating in the drafting of a settlement agreement. Once they reach an agreement, the Judge simply reviews the documents to insure they comply with statutory requirements and then approves the agreement with a signature.

Even when the bitterness that divides couples is so extreme that they cannot communicate with each other in a civil manner, they often manage to reach settlement through a process called mediation. This process is mandatory in Marion County as well as a number of other Indiana counties. It is not, however, mandatory in all Indiana counties.

Many Indianapolis divorce lawyers have found this mandatory requirement quite helpful in reaching a desirable conclusion. The mediation process requires the parties and their attorneys to select a neutral third person, who is typically a lawyer, to serve as a mediator. The mediator brings the parties to the same office where each party and their lawyer are seated in separate rooms where neither party can see or hear the other party. The mediator simply talks with each party in order to develop proposals for settlement and then communicates each offer to the other party in the other room.

The mediator serves as the messenger, but also works with each party to develop ideas that are intended to bring about compromise. If the parties fail to reach settlement on their own or through mediation, they must take their dispute to Court and let a judge decide the issues for them. Indianapolis divorce attorneys often find themselves in the Courtroom fighting over issues such as custody, visitation, support, and property division. It is very difficult to guess how a judge will resolve the issues, and for this reason, final hearings are highly stressful for the parties as well as their lawyers.