Family mediation is a means to provide a solution to problems that a group of relatives may face. It is essential to say that the process does not apply to every problem. It is only the best solution for couples who may have fallen apart but still have unfinished business.
It is easier to set up communication times between two partners in love or are just meeting each other for the first time. However, when two lovers become enemies, the task is more complicated. You may need to seek the help of a professional to set such up.
Why should there be such a meeting?
There is a need to set up such a meeting because there will be some unfinished businesses. The unfinished business could be about children, finances, or sharing of properties. These things would not have been put in the right places because divorce or separation is not always planned. It is the result of clashes between two people.
Why need a family mediation when a court could have been used?
Yes, you could have used a court, but family mediation seems to be a more peaceful choice. Since you may want to control how situations turn out, it is always advisable to go for mediation. However, if there is no solution at the end of the day, you can settle for the court.
The process always begins with the willingness of both parties to settle the matter out of court. They can both agree to hire a mediator who is a neutral person. Of course, you can hire an informal mediator – he or she could be a relative or friend of both parties. However, you might not get the desired result.
Hiring a professional mediator is a different approach. From their professional responsibilities to skillfulness, they are trained to handle issues appropriately. They will ask important questions that will assist their efforts to reach a conclusion. If both parties are corporative, there will be a good result at the end of the process.
What if we already settled the case in court, Can I still employ family mediation?
A legal court is more authoritative, and their verdict is final. Hence, the family mediation approach after the case has been settled in the court could be dicey. On the other hand, you can use the court after that.
Using the court after mediation is common, especially if there is no conclusion from the process. However, agreements from mediation do not carry as much weight as court orders. However, you can keep them as a reference to refer back to.
Is family mediation an expensive process?
It does not require much money as one would have thought. Unlike litigation processes that consume much money, you can employ an informal mediator who may not need any money. A formal mediator may be compensated but for a token. They do not charge as much as you would have assumed that a lawyer will charge.
Conclusion
You can always try family mediation when you’ve got issues that need to be ironed out. Be patient and trust the process. Its success rate is sufficient reason to have a go at it.