As a Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, Attorney Valerie Masters understands how difficult it is when you are going through a breakup or a family law dispute. Most family disagreements are emotionally charged, which makes it difficult for those involved to come to an agreement.
Most people believe the only way to settle these kinds of issues is to argue them in court. However, when the judge is forced to make a decision, he may choose options that neither party is happy with.
Mediation as a Problem Solver
When parties choose mediation, they meet with a neutral party who helps them work through their issues. You can solve many issues with mediation, including child support issues, decisions about how your child is going to be raised, and divorce matters.
Mediators go through training where they learn how to help parties communicate with each other. They don’t force their own opinions on the people they help. Instead, they help everyone express their own feelings and listen carefully to the opposing parties.
Benefits to Mediation
Mediation can save you time, money and stress. Instead of spending months filing motions and arguing in front of the judge, you can meet with the other party and have a rational conversation about what you both want.
One of the major benefits of mediation is that you will be happier with the outcome if you worked through the issues that caused the dispute. You will know that your concerns and worries were part of the final decision.
After you go through mediation, you will hopefully understand the motivations of the other party, and they will understand you. Not only will that help you for this dispute, but hopefully you can keep that understanding when you deal with each other later. Many family disputes occur with people who will be part of each other’s lives for many years to come.
What Happens After Mediation?
Sometimes you can come to an agreement on all your issues, in which case the judge only has to sign the order to make your decisions binding. Sometimes you can solve at least some of your problems, so the judge has a smaller number of issues to decide.
Mediation benefits everyone involved when parties participate openly and honestly. If you think mediation might be an option for your family law issue, call Valerie Masters PA for a free consultation today.