There is an alternative to the usual process of hiring an attorney and engaging in dirty battle. More and more, couples are turning to mediation. This process utilizes the skills of a neutral third party to assist the divorcing couple in communicating and negotiating a final, personalized settlement that meets the needs and interests of both parties. As in most conflicts, what people really want is that their side be heard. By communicating directly, couples minimize misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
Mediation is much less expensive than litigation.
Research has shown that it is not the divorce which causes the long-term scars on children, but the acrimony surrounding the divorce. Often, well-meaning parents unwittingly use their children as tools of revenge and place their children in the middle of their war. Mediators point out that the parents are going to need to be in the contact with one another for the rest of their children's lives and that they need to learn to communicate and cooperate with one another. Mediation relies on brainstorming and creating alternatives to resolve a particular dispute. There is no need to adhere to a fixed solution which is the only option available in a court-rendered divorce.