While litigation has it's place, parties should consider other options as well.
Mediation is an underused but valuable alternative to litigation.
In the mediation system, the two parties first must choose the individual or individuals to mediate the dispute. Sometimes, a dispute can be mediated by an attorney alone or by a psychologist alone. There are certain Family Law Mediators who prefer to mediate the dispute jointly. Mediation is very valuable in that it is generally less costly than litigation and less time consuming. If there are children involved, this message is likely to be conveyed to the children and they may have an easier time dealing with the situation.