How Mediation Can Solve Many of Your Biggest Family Law Issues

What is Mediation?

Human interaction is at the foundation of our existence as a society. Unfortunately, as an inevitable result of this interaction, disagreements between people will arise.  In ancient times, disputes were often resolved through fighting and battles. As modern society has evolved, we have developed more civilized ways to deal with dispute resolution. One such way is called mediation. What exactly is mediation? Simply put, mediation is when two parties who are in dispute over an issue or issues get together with a neutral third party and have the third party assist them in resolving the dispute.

Family Law Mediation

Mediation has been found to be helpful in resolving many family law issues quicker and less expensive than going through more formal court proceedings. The impartial third-party mediator assists the parties in clearing up misunderstandings and finding common ground upon which an agreement can be reached. In family law mediation, the parties can discuss their issues and air their disagreements in a private setting. No such privacy outside of the public view is available in the normal courtroom setting. This private setting with an independent and neutral third party can often lead to the resolution of family law issues more quickly and at a lower cost to the participants.

Child Support Mediation

The use of a third-party mediator to assist through child support mediation is perhaps the most important use of mediation in the whole divorce process.  While the third party is involved, the parents themselves come to an agreement as to the custody and amount of child support. Both parties agree to the acceptable amount of support on their own so neither party has an amount imposed upon them. This will also save the parties time and money compared to going through court proceedings on the issue. In addition, the more issues the parties can directly agree upon prior to divorce, the better chance that they will get along after the divorce is finalized.

Benefits of Mediation

As noted above, mediation in divorce presents many benefits over the normal courtroom process. Being able to discuss issues in a private setting rather than the public arena will make the parties more likely to open up and speak more freely to each other. Among the other benefits of mediation are savings in both time and money over the traditional courtroom legal process. The mediation process may be completed after a few days to perhaps a couple of weeks. This compares to court proceedings which could last many weeks, months, or more.  As court proceedings drag on, cost likewise can rise dramatically. The usual cost of utilizing the mediation process is significantly less than a divorce through the traditional court process.

Mediation in Divorce – Consult the Shapiro Law Group

An amicable divorce is always preferable to the alternative. A smooth divorce process will be beneficial to the parents and children alike. Consult a family law attorney at the Shapiro Law Group to help you sort through the plethora of factors that need review and see if family law mediation is right for you. We are here to help. Call today at 339-298-2300 for a free consultation.