The parties maintain control over and make their own decisions regarding their financial and family matters. Mediation minimizes the tension, anger and distrust that is often part of the traditional adversarial divorce and litigation process. The mediation process allows the parties to carefully tailor their agreement to best meet each party's particular needs and interests.
Mediation can be particularly valuable when their are children involved.
Divorcing spouses continue to be parents even after the dissolution of their marriage. The recognition of the need to cooperate after the divorce in the interest of their children and the process of reaching an agreement on child care and parenting issues is important to establish a cooperative method of parenting after the divorce. The cost of a mediated settlement can be significantly less than contested litigation or an agreement negotiated through two attorneys. Fundamentally, the role of each party's attorney is much less. Depositions, court time, formal discovery and trial preparation are not part of a mediated proceeding.