Mediating Spousal Support

Spousal support may be a difficult issue to resolve after a divorce. With child support the parent-child relation caries on and most parents do not have a problem making monthly payments. With spousal support the feeling of responsibility may be as strong as the relationship has ended and the supporting spouse just wants to move on. In addition spousal support can be substantially more than child support.

If you go to court for spousal support you will likely be forced to deal with the number that comes out of the Judge's computer. Mediating the issue will be challenging, but it allows people to take the number from the computer begin to negotiate terms that work for everybody.

It is common that both spouses can empathize with each other's financial needs so it is possible they will be open to compromise. In California, DissoMaster is the program used to calculate spousal support. Once a number has been computed parties can work to find an outcome that meets their needs. The options are only as limited by the creativity of the parties and their mediator.

A spouse may settle for a lower monthly amount in exchange for additional monthly payments. It may be possible to negotiate a buy-out up front to settle spousal support. A spouse may accept health insurance in lieu of spousal support. A spouse may settle for less in exchange for additional compensation out of community property. There is no limit of ways spousal support may be modified to make the monthly payments more accommodating to everybody.

I would encourage anybody looking at spousal support to consider mediating the issue. If the court orders an amount that everybody can live with just follow that. However if there are problems a mediator can help you explore the endless possibilities available to reach an alternative agreement that is still fair to everybody involved.