Family court issues, whether you’re dealing with divorce attorneys or child custody attorneys, can be extremely overwhelming for everyone involved. No matter the situation, it’s going to be difficult on the adults and it’s going to be even more difficult on the children.

That’s why mediation is so important. Working with professionals who can offer unbiased family law legal advice to you and the rest of your family can ensure that everyone is treated fairly. With mediation, not only will everyone feel heard, but the whole situation will be put to rest as quickly as possible.

Again, every situation, family, and individual is different, but there are some helpful things you can do if you find yourself dealing with any family court issue, especially divorce.

It doesn’t matter if you and your spouse hate each other more than anything in the world or you both maturely decided it’s time to move on. If you’re in a marriage, you strongly cared for each other at one point in your lives. This makes any divorce difficult, as these old emotions can sometimes stir up ugly passions.

Divorce happens much too often in the United States, with 40% to 50% all first marriages ending in divorce. There are 876,000 divorces each year, which equals out to a remarkable one divorce every 36 seconds. Despite these high levels of divorce, the average amount of time a couple spends with each other before they call it quits is not a few months or one bad year, but nine years together. That’s enough time to begin a family and raise kids to their eighth or ninth birthday.

It’s important for each spouse to be cordial with each other and work with the mediator offering family law legal advice as much as possible. Even if your relationship was one big scream fest, this is not the time to bring up those unwanted memories. Be polite and as helpful as you can be, even if it’s just an act. It’s the only way to speed up the process and put this situation behind you with as little disruption as possible.

Preparation is essential for getting through these difficult times as well. Each person should consult with family law attorneys to go over proposals, negotiations, and backup plans. For the best results and chances of a quick conclusion, you should provide your attorney with as much detail as possible.

Although these situations may be the most stressful times of your life, if you get professional family law legal advice, remain as cordial as possible and be helpful and honest. Soon, you should be able to put this stressful time behind you and move on with your life.