Benefits of Mediation
Some of the advantages of mediation include:
- Control. The parties decide for themselves what is best for their situation, allowing them to craft solutions that are tailored to their unique situation.
- Privacy. The parties meet with the mediator in a private, comfortable setting that encourages a collaborative, non-adversarial experience.
- Collaboration. Because the approach is collaborative rather than adversarial, mediation allows for a result that satisfies both parties’ needs without pitting one against the other.
- Timing. Mediation proceeds according to the schedule that the parties choose. The parties are not held up waiting for scheduling on court calendars.
- Savings. Mediation is much less expensive than litigation. The savings result from direct communication and voluntary full disclosure among the parties and the mediator, without depositions, court conferences, motions or other procedural steps that require many hours of work by each party’s attorney.
- Communication. In addition to resolving the issues being faced, mediation can create a new dynamic that improves future interactions. This can be particularly valuable for couples with children who will continue to communicate regularly as co-parents after a divorce, or siblings who will continue to communicate after resolution of a family business dispute or probate dispute.
- Satisfaction. Because mediation encourages each party to fully express their views, and because it allows the parties to control the outcome of their dispute, people are more often satisfied with the process and results of a mediated, rather than litigated, settlement.
The benefits of mediation described above make it a good choice for resolving conflicts where the parties have a family or interpersonal relationship that could benefit from a non-adversarial approach.
Examples of the types of conflicts that may be resolved through mediation include:
- divorce
- premarital agreements
- co-habitation agreements
- separation of unmarried couples
- post-divorce conflicts
- neighbor disputes
- estate settlements & probate disputes
- family business conflicts