Family Mediation

 Posted on September 30, 2013 in Divorce

When a couple decides to get divorced, it tends not to be because they are getting along great together. Along with the emotional and financial turmoil that must be dealt with, the couple is also forced to come together to decide what will be best for the children. If that cannot be accomplished, a mediator can help to help them resolve their issues and come up with a plan before proceeding to court.

When the couple goes to meet with the mediator, each person gets a chance to speak about what he or she would like as an outcome of the session. The mediator then, simply, facilitates the discussion between the parties until they have a accomplished a compromise on everything that needed deciding.

When couples go to mediation, it is usually one session that is ordered by the court. Both parties must be there for the entire length of time that it may take to formalize an agreement. That may be anywhere from two to three hours.

Benefits of mediation include:

• You decide the outcome, not an outside party such as a judge.
• The entire session is confidential.
• Usually, the agreements created last because they are created by both parties together.
• Usually faster than a typical divorce trial.
• The relationship between the parties is usually better afterward because of the forced communication and compromise.

Although many cases can be solved through mediation in a timely and peaceful manner, the state of Illinois does not advice cases that involve physical or psychological abuse to go to mediation.

Other cases not advised for mediation include those in which one party has a strong domination over the other in bargaining power, knowledge of the other party or sophistication.

If you would like to pursue your divorce case through mediation, instead of the typical divorce court, contact a divorce attorney for assistance to proceed. Stock, Carlson & Asso. LLC attorneys in Wheaton, Ill. are experts at mediation and can help you through the process today.