Judges and attorneys are recognizing the fact that litigation is not always the best way to resolve conflicts, particularly between family members. Mediation is not a win-lose situation. You have a chance to get past your anger and direct your attention to resolving the dispute at hand. Relationships between family members are often torn apart by the adversarial nature of litigation. Mediation promotes trust, cooperation and respect.
Mediation can reduce the cost, time and stress of resolving conflicts.
The parties select the mediator and can arrange mutually convenient meeting times. The mediator is there to help focus on the critical issues and assist in finding useful and creative methods of solving problems. No one is pressured to give up their rights and the participants are in control of the outcome. One of the main objectives in family mediation is to protect the interests of children. Children are often severely affected by conflict between parents and the child's stress can lead to incidents of juvenile delinquency and other self-destructive behavior.