Property settlement: mediation could be cheapest option

When you’re trying to divide up the money, it’s a good idea to try and avoid going to court if at all possible. Court should be considered as the option of last resort as matters in court tend to be more expensive, more stressful and take longer to resolve.

I came across an article by MSNBC talking about the relative benefits of mediation, collaborative law and going to court.

What struck me about the article was the comparative approach taken by the Boston Law Collaborative, which reviewed 199 of its files. The figures are in US dollars:

The firm analyzed 199 of its recent divorce cases, and found that mediation,
collaborative divorce and litigation all produced high rates of successful
settlement. Mediation was by far the least expensive option, with a median cost
of $6,600, compared to $19,723 for a collaborative divorce, $26,830 for
settlements negotiated by rival lawyers, and $77,746 for full-scale litigation.