Benefits of Family Mediation

Benefits of Mediation: Family and Divorce

Divorce or separation can lead to a number of very important issues that need to be resolved including child custody, visitation, living arrangements, property and asset distribution, and spousal support. Because of the importance of familial relationships, mediation is much better suited to resolve these issues than the adversarial court-based process. In fact, most courts recognize this fact and the following statistics help illustrate how mediation is:

Cheaper: Average mediation costs $2,000-$3,000 compared to upwards of $25,000 - $35,000 for a contested divorce or custody case.

Faster: Mediation can resolve issues in a matter of weeks whereas contested custody or divorce matters can take over a year.

Private: Family decisions are made by the people most directly affected, not in a public forum such as a court hearing.

Non-adversarial: Mediation is a process of finding solutions that are in everyone's best interests so it is less stressful on all family members, especially children.

Benefits of Mediation: Estate, Probate and Orphans Court Litigation

You may have been managing the financial affairs of your elder parent under a power of attorney when his or her health was failing. And then a conflict arises with a sibling after mom or dad has passed away. Losing a parent is a difficult and emotional matter that sometimes leads to lawsuits among family members because of mistrust and a lack of communication. Mediation is particularly well suited to assist you and your family members in coming to an agreement during this difficult time. Mediation allows you and your family to make the final decisions, and not to leave them in the hands of a judge.

Benefits of Mediation: Senior and Elder Related Issues

When an older member of your family can no longer manage on their own, many decisions have to be made about housing and care options. This can often be an emotional decision and point of disagreement for siblings and family members. A mediator can help resolve such a conflict by enabling all interested parties to have an open and candid dialogue in a safe and respectful manner. The mediator can guide the conversation and figure out the underlying needs and how to satisfy those needs.

For more information on the mediation process see our Mediation FAQs.

Contact us online or call 301-588-5390 today for a free consultation.