Types of Family Mediation

Family Mediation is a broad category of mediation that can be very helpful in some of our most intimate conflicts. Since families come in all shapes and sizes, the following descriptions identify the areas that can benefit from mediation.

Divorce Mediation:

The most common issues to be mediated are parenting plans (when children are involved), division of marital property and other assets or debts, spousal support and communication issues.

Pre-nuptial Agreements:

Effective upon marriage, these mediated agreements address rights and obligations under a number of circumstances.

Relationship Reconciliation or Separation Prevention:

Mediation can also help couples preserve their marriage or relationship. This process is distinct from therapy in that its focus is on reaching agreements rather than treating illness.

Blended Family Conflicts:

Many parents and children are able to live happily in blended families through hard work and by understanding and respecting personal differences and family complexity.

Elder Care Issues:

Mediation can assist families in making difficult decisions concerning issues surrounding adult guardianship or care-taking, end of life decisions, or transfer of a business or family assets among others.

Parent/Teen Conflicts:

Mediators can facilitate communication about difficult subjects and help parents and teens come up with agreements that create trust and respect between them.

Extended Family Conflicts:

Mediation can help heal long standing resentments or rivalries among family members and map out ways to create future collaborative relations.

Gay/Lesbian Relationships:

Mediation is often a valuable tool for gay and lesbian relationships because it allows privacy, creativity and negotiation outside of a legal system that does not recognize their union. Read more...

Benefits of Family Mediation

As well as the other advantages of mediation, using mediation to resolve issues surrounding divorce/separation has these additional benefits:

  1. Control: Mediation gives you maximum control over the process and outcome rather than being limited to what a Judge may prescribe in a court order.
  2. Privacy: Mediation offers the opportunity to work out your differences in a private confidential setting.
  3. Focus on the Children: During an emotionally difficult time for both parents, the mediator helps parents focus on their children's needs and minimize effects of the parental conflict on the children. (To see the "Developmental Considerations and Implications" for children, click here.)
  4. Changes in Negative Communication Patterns: The mediator observes how ex-partners communicate and helps them overcome false assumptions and develop more positive ways to discuss issues.
  5. Creative Parenting Schedules: The mediator will work with the parties to develop parenting schedules that fit individual lifestyles rather than the generic court ordered "every other weekend and one night a week". Parents can develop schedules that reduce the need for child care and increase the child's access to both parents.
  6. Longer Lasting Agreements with Less Animosity: Children's needs change as they grow older and knowing you can come back to mediation rather than being summoned to court can encourage a more collaborative co-parenting relationship.
  7. Identifying domestic violence: Depending on the mediator's assessment of the case, offers victims and abusers referrals for intervention and help. If you are the victim of domestic violence click here for more information on mediating when domestic violence is present.