Litigation is the act of resolving a legal dispute through the court process. While that definition sounds tame, many people question whether the litigation model is appropriate for family law cases. All too often, litigation involves the win-at-any-cost, scorched earth approach where both sides stop at nothing to come out on top by tearing the other side down as much as possible. This attitude should not apply to family law cases, but it does all too often in practice. Parties are emotionally scarred by all things they believe their spouse did to wrong them. And their goal is to “win” against their spouse rather than do what is best for their family. Parties will often view each step in the process to be its own zero-sum mini-contest; as a result, lots of motions are filed, and they are all opposed. Thanks to the litigation model, family law cases all too often turn out this way. Cases then become impossible to settle.
Parties benefit when they develop win-win strategies to resolve their cases efficiently and amicably. Mediation helps the parties do exactly that. Contact Heidi Town at the Attorneys of Highlands Ranch to get you there.