When negotiating your divorce, you want to present the facts as compelling evidence, confident that the truth will prevail. However, in traditional divorce proceedings, you may lose privacy and control over the confidentiality of those facts. If your case goes to trial, the proceedings become part of public record. 

Vanity Fair reports: “In a memorandum filed in the Superior Court of California, Pitt’s legal team accused Jolie of leaking private information about the couple’s custody agreement to the public through court filings.” The paperwork expresses concern that information in the proceeding “will be immediately made public, where the children can access it or where people in the general public will have access to it for their own uses, and […] will not use such information in the best interest of their children.”

Celebrities and high-profile figures understand that we live in a world where any information made public can stay on the internet forever. This is why some of the most famous people in the world are choosing mediation to settle their divorce privately, rather than divorcing through a public courtroom battle. 

Divorce mediation helps couples avoid the lengthy and costly litigation process. Instead of hiring separate lawyers, both parties will sign a confidentiality agreement and attend sessions to discuss matters in private under the guidance of the mediator. Mediation is privileged, which means that statements one makes during mediation cannot be used against the party later in Court or other legal proceedings.

Children & Custody

One of the biggest worries parents have about divorce is the potential impact it may have on their children. High profile individuals may be especially worried about unwanted media attention. Publicity can highlight private details about their children, subjecting them to a level of exposure they did not agree to and cannot consent to. Children may learn about the turmoil of their parents’ marriage through distressing rumors or gossip about infidelities, addictions, or other issues leading up to the divorce. This information can be upsetting and disruptive to the daily routine of a child, especially one of young age. Children may feel embarrassed and they may even experience judgment or harassment at school or in other social settings. 

McNamee Mediations prioritizes the well-being of children in all custody discussions and ensures confidentiality throughout your divorce proceedings. Parents who choose divorce mediation can spend less time worrying about external opinions and instead focus their energy on providing stability and normalcy to their children during the transition. By keeping the process private, children are protected from disputes and disagreements. Mediation shields your children from feeling caught in the midst of adult conflicts and prevents them from feeling burdened to choose or “take sides” between their parents. 

Emotional Well-Being & Relationships 

The privacy of mediation may be especially beneficial over the long term for co-parenting and blended families. One of the best ways to keep “he said she said” family drama from being dug up from the past is to leave issues confidentially sealed, right where they were resolved—in the mediator’s office. 

You or your spouse may have done things you’d rather keep private, but these issues must be discussed nonetheless before finalizing your divorce and moving forward with your new chapter. If one cheated in the marriage, the person who was unfaithful may be ashamed at how they hurt the person they recited vows with, and the partner who was cheated on may be humiliated. Spouses may fear how this information could impact their children and family, or worry about how it will affect their reputation. Friends and strangers may judge or ridicule either spouse. 

While we can’t control the actions or opinions of others, the benefit of mediation is that it allows you to retain control over who has access to personal and sensitive information about you and your divorce. This can be critical. Mediation is facilitated by a neutral third party in which you can express how you feel openly but in a private space, without “airing out dirty laundry”. Privacy allows individuals the necessary time and space to grieve the breakdown of their marriage and work on becoming a better version of themselves. In contrast, shame and judgment can hinder personal growth and productivity, making the healing process much more difficult.

Businesses & Finances 

One of the most contentious issues in divorce is the division of assets. In these discussions, details about income, savings, liabilities, properties, business assets, and more must be divulged in order to gather a true accounting of marital assets and conduct a fair assessment of how they will be divided. Regardless of your financial situation, it can be highly unsettling for any information about what you own and owe to be publicly accessible.

For high-net-worth couples divorcing with complex financial portfolios or highly valued assets, a court trial that reveals financial information can compromise your personal security and business reputation. Your net worth, including your income, real estate, businesses, and investments, are critical sources of your livelihood, directly affecting your quality of life now and in the future. Wealthy individuals are often targeted for theft or fraud, which are the last things anyone wants to have to worry about after ending their marriage. 

Scrutiny about your personal life can heavily impact you mentally and emotionally, but it can also negatively impact you financially. The personal life of a business owner or executive may be tied to their reputation and affect how they are perceived in their industry. 

Privacy is essential for safeguarding your financial well-being and, in the case of a business, protecting the key aspects of your competitive advantage. If either spouse owns a business or business assets, or if you and your spouse are co-owners of a business, you may wish to sell assets and divide the proceeds, continue operating as co-owners, or arrange for one partner to buy out the other. In any of these scenarios, it will be important and even necessary to keep your divorce out of court to prevent competitors from knowing information about key aspects of your business: ownership structure, intellectual property, business strategies, supply chain, and distribution.

To learn more about the benefits of mediation in maintaining privacy and confidentiality throughout your divorce, give McNamee Mediations a call today.

Call Us Today: +1 (949) 223-3836

E-Mail Us: mmediations@msn.com