In many divorce, child custody, or family law cases, the opposing parties do not agree on at least one significant issue. For divorce cases, it may be an issue or issues involving the children such as custody, parenting time, decision-making, or child support. The parties may also disagree about other matters, such as property division or maintenance. Other family law cases are almost always filed and started because there is a disagreement between the parties, usually stemming from an issue relating to the children like the ones stated above.

In divorce, child custody, or family law cases, mediation can often be a hugely beneficial tool for the parties to avail themselves to in order to compromise and resolve issues. Oftentimes, the Court will order mediation because of how effective it has proven to be.  Mediation is not cheap, but if the parties cannot come to an agreement on a relevant issues in the case on their own, it can absolutely be a cheap alternative to the lengthy, expensive, and stressful gamble of a contested hearing.

Mediators are individuals who are trained and experienced in helping parties resolve the issues that come into play in family law and divorce cases. Many either work for the court system, or are former or practicing lawyers or judges themselves. Their experience at cultivating agreements, their independence in being a non-biased third party with no dog in the fight, and their familiarity with the applicable law allows them to be effective at helping parties to settle and resolve their issues in these cases. Depending on the number and complexity of the issues in a case, mediations normally last a half day or a full day.

In short, mediation can be a cost effective way to efficiently resolve a case, considering the alternative.  If you have questions about mediation or other issues relating to divorce or family law, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation.