Spouses may elect to go through mediation voluntarily without waiting for the court to order them to do so. In some cases, spouses who feel that mediation is likely to work for them may begin the mediation process even before formally filing for divorce. When a couple is able to use mediation to create a divorce settlement, they can usually finalize an uncontested divorce quickly. Court-ordered mediation, on the other hand, may take place after filing for divorce. A judge may order spouses to attend mediation before allowing them to litigate their case if they believe that this solution is likely to be an effective method for resolving the couple’s outstanding issues.