That means the mediator cannot give advice to either party and cannot act as a lawyer for either party. What the mediator can do, though, is to point out in open session to both spouses things that each of them should be aware of about what they're trying to accomplish. That open and free exchange of information frees up both spouses to negotiate with each other in confidence. Because all three of you are working with the same base of information, it usually takes far less time to negotiate a resolution that makes sense to both spouses. Depending on the style of mediation your mediator uses, you're usually welcome to bring your lawyer to mediation if you want to, or you can use your lawyer as a coach or advisor between sessions.
Mediation is voluntary.
It continues only for so long as all three of you want it to. Either spouse can withdraw from mediation at any time, for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all. In a word, yes. We know from years of research that when you compare couples who have mediated their divorce with couples who go through an adversarial divorce , mediating couples are more likely to be satisfied with the process and the results, likely to take less time and spend less money , and are less likely to go back to court later to fight about something. The main advantage of mediation is that it keeps you and your spouse in control of your own divorce, and I believe that can make all the difference in your recovering from your divorce and moving on with your life.