Knowing that you have the opportunity to be heard and giving the other person the opportunity to be heard can make all the difference between settlement and litigation. There are countless examples of the missed opportunities to sit and discuss a situation that leads to fighting, expense, stress and other issues. Only to have the issues resolved by a third party or even worse – never resolving the situation. We all know that no resolution leads to more stress, cost, headache and the loss of significant people and opportunities in our lives.

Mediation offers significant advantages, financial savings, the ability to determine the outcome and being able to specify the terms of your agreement over costly and time consuming litigation. Taking the opportunity to facilitate a conversation through mediation can limit the issues that are presented in litigation or completely resolve the dispute.

Here are some possible benefits of mediation:

• Having input and greater flexibility determining the outcome of the dispute
• Greater probability of compliance with the terms of a mediated settlement
• Beginning the process of moving forward and healing
• Less interruption to your work schedule and the use of alternative methods of mediating (virtual, weekends, evenings)
• Possibly less fighting, frustration and aggravation than the litigation process
• No guesswork of a 3rd party determining the outcome (arbitration or trial)
• Bringing the beginnings of peace into your life
• Eliminating the “tug of war” over the children
• Having the opportunity to clarify for even greater compliance
• Can include your representative, advocate or other support