Benefits of Mediation

Respectful

You work together in a respectful environment to find your own solutions tailored to your particular family. Court is an adversarial system and court decisions are public. Sometimes people say things that can permanently damage your relationship — with your children or with each other. Mediation lets all involved move forward, usually without causing permanent damage to your relationships.

Private

Mediation allows a private outcome of your family’s personal matters, as opposed to the public, permanent record of family court.

Voluntary

Mediation is a voluntary process. You only mediate if you want to.

Faster

Mediation can usually be completely wrapped up in about the same time it takes just to get to the first step of many in a court case. Family court is a series of incremental steps that take a lot of time.

Affordable

A mediation providing you a binding final agreement usually costs a fraction of a court process.

Binding

When you reach a separation agreement with proper financial disclosure and legal information, your agreement is as strong as a court order. You can literally take it to the bank.

Lasting

Often, a separation agreement reached in mediation is more lasting than a court order because you have participated in your own decision, rather than having one imposed upon you by a judge, who is, after all, a stranger to your family.