Being that we have two young children together our main goal was to keep this process as simple and painless as possible. Having gone through my parents’ divorce at a young age I can remember the fights and the constant hatred that filled our house as they were separating. The one thing I was determined to do is not let that kind of environment make its way into my and my family’s home. I realize now that it is possible to still have a family with a mother and father and have them be in two different places. That doesn’t mean that their children should have to experience that difference as a negative. The most important thing for both of us is to make sure that our children know we love them and would do anything for them. They should never be made to think that our separation had anything to do with them. I felt like the best way to keep that horrible environment I had to deal with when I was a child is to use mediation as our means to divorce.  Mediation certainly wasn’t easy but it was much better than the alternative.  When looking for a mediator try and find someone you feel you can trust and seems to put equal favor in both party’s interests. And remember, that person is not there to give you the better deal, they are there to record your collective decisions as to how the divorce will be handled and the terms at which you both agree.
– Andy Byers