Attorney Michael Lee Lavender has been offering for divorce mediation services for couples who reside in and near Provincetown, Massachusetts and throughout Cape Cod, Massachusetts, since 2004. Attorney Lavender considers himself a Provincetown Divorce Attorney — even though he maintains a central Cape Cod office within a five-minute walk from the Barnstable County Probate and Family Court, in Barnstable Village.
While Attorney Lavender brings non-judgement to all of his cases, he notes that contested divorce court proceedings are public, and that an uncontested no fault Divorce through mediation allows for self-determination and insulates couples by affording privacy and protection from the biases and prejudices of those who will decide the outcome of a contested same sex divorce.
Though same sex divorce has been legal in Massachusetts since 2004, it has only been recognized Federally since 2015. Divorce can be complicated, and there are many federal regulations that play a role, most of which are tax related, such as the untaxed transfer of certain retirement assets.
A common sticking point is when the marriage began, which can dictate how assets are divided and whether a spouse may receive spousal support. Generally, the longer any marriage has lasted, the more weight it carries when a judge determines how to award a percentage of assets or spousal support. If a same sex couple has lived together for 18 years before deciding to legally marry in 2015, and then decides to divorce today, whether the union began 6 years ago or 26 years ago would be a question of fact before the court and the outcome may not be legally clear.
The bottom line: Who is best suited to make these and other often intimate decisions of your financial or familial lives…you and a divorce mediator who wishes peace for both of you, or a judge who barely knows you? While a Divorce Mediator near Provincetown is still working within the framework of the law, Attorney Lavender encourages collaboration and tends to be less rigid and more creative in his divorce agreements to insure both parties are treated fairly.
Added to these are the general advantages of divorce mediation: For example, when a couple engages a Cape Cod and Provincetown Divorce Mediator, the divorce mediation process becomes more gentle, less stressful and time consuming, significantly less expensive and free of the painful and peace-eroding blame posturing employed by traditional divorce attorneys. Most importantly, divorce mediation near Provincetown seeks to manage rather than enflame the fear level, which increases the chances of both an amicable split and workable post-divorce co-parenting relationship when precious children or pets are involved.
Divorce is difficult, but for same sex couples in Provincetown it can be even harder. Same sex couples fought tooth and nail for the right to marry. Ending a marriage that was so hard won can be particularly painful. Attorney Lavender in Cape Cod, Massachusetts will support your self-compassion and perspective, by not unduly attaching this understandable narrative to an already painful life situation, and thereby help you ease this pain and to move on with your lives.
If you’re looking for a divorce mediator near Provincetown, Massachusetts, contact Michael Lee Lavender at Cape Cod Mediation today.