Why Mediate?

Why Mediate?

• Avoid the stress and unpredictability of court.

• It is far easier and provides much better results.

• You will learn how to negotiate with your ex-partner.

• Save time, money and feel more at ease with a conscious, cooperative approach.

• Create a better ongoing relationship with your ex-partner.

• You both win and you both make sacrifices by putting your family first.

Stop fighting and start negotiating! It’s the only thing that makes sense. Or, let a total stranger, your court appointed judge, decide the fate of your family.

Mediation allows you and your ex-partner to resolve your differences with the help of a neutral, objective professional. The mediator is trained to see solutions and find answers to problems when emotions are running high. The mediator cannot force you to decide anything. The two of you make all decisions. The mediator is not there to judge – only to help you come to agreements that are satisfactory to both of you. A good mediator will help you find a positive solution hidden within what appears to be an impossible issue to resolve.

Both parents often have good reasons for their positions and believe that they are right. The mediator acknowledges each parent’s perspective and attempts to locate the positive intention behind each. Once that positive intention is found, resolution is often just a few steps away.

Acting in good faith, each parent voluntarily provides the documentation needed for the issues at hand. The mediator uses this information to help them come to a fair financial settlement and shared parenting time agreement.

In financial situations that are complex, attorneys are sometimes used to help in the settlement process, but this is entirely up to you. Experts can be called in to determine the value of a specific piece of property, pension fund, a business or any other asset. The parties can agree on criteria for fairness, and based on this, search for the best solution as the mediator guides them through the process.

Once both of you come to an agreement on the issues, you can have one attorney add statutes and legal language to the final document to be filed with the court. Remember, the court not only wants an agreement that conforms with the law but also one that is clearly written and easily understood in case it needs to enforce any part of it in the future. Be aware that some states require each of you to have your own attorney.

Go to "Comparison Cost of Litigation Versus Mediation"