The conventional wisdom for people in this delicate and fragile state is to get a good lawyer and battle it out. Sometimes the litigation or negotiations which follow become a bitter right of passage, infused with revenge and pain. Divorcing couples may find themselves with separate Court proceedings on several issues. The divorce itself, Court applications over money and property and also proceedings over the children. All of this costs many thousands of pounds for each spouse - to say nothing of the stress and the damage done to the couples' ongoing relationship as parents, if they have children.
Mediation offers a practical alternative.
Instead of fighting over problems, couples are helped to solve them. The emotional and financial cost is limited. Often people find they begin to understand each other for the first time for years. The way relationships end is important. The legacy of the past should not cast a shadow over the future.