Worcester Family Law Mediation Attorney

Mediation allows two disputing parties to meet with a third-party mediator who is neutral and unbiased. The two parties can then discuss the terms of their divorce, such as which party will keep the house or a proposed custody schedule. After the entire divorce agreement (or separation agreement) has been negotiated and agreed upon, a proposal is drawn up and submitted to the judge.

There are many benefits to using mediation to sort out family law issues, such as:

• It is less expensive than litigation
• It allows you to maintain your working relationship
• It is easier for your children

Perhaps most importantly, mediation does not involve a judge; instead, you and your spouse or ex-spouse will be able to make decisions about the future of your family that are best suited to your unique situation and family dynamic.

While the length of mediation can depend solely on how quickly the couples come to a common ground, each session generally lasts between two to three hours. While some cases resolve in as little as one session, you may need additional sessions to cover every aspect of the divorce.

If you ever plan to attend a mediation hearing, here is a list of what you can expect:

• You will be listening to statements from the opposing party, and they will often be ones that you disagree with.
• Expect that each of you will be at the furthest ends of each argument, especially in the beginning of mediation.
• Come into mediation with the mindset that your differences will be settled quickly, however don’t be surprised if the sessions become lengthy.
• The mediator is non-biased and will not choose a side, so don’t expect an answer that will come across one-sided.
• Try and come to these sessions with the mindset that a compromise will be reached.

In general, there are five critical steps to a mediation session:

• Convening the Mediation: This is where each side comes to the conclusion that mediation is necessary in order to come to a common ground in their divorce.
• Opening Session: This is where both sides give their opening statements, as well as the mediator explaining what he or she will serve as.
• Communication: A significant reason as to why couples end up in mediation is because they haven’t communicated to each other properly. When sensitive issues of divorce are brought up, there are a lot of one-sided arguments with rarely a conclusion unless a mediator steps in.
• Negotiation: This stage tries to find common ground between the terms of the divorce and can help expedite certain issues each of them are facing.
• Closure: This involves closing statements, with each party coming to a resolution, or setting up another session to continue to try and resolve things.