Monday, September 19, 2011

It's NOT All or Nothing

A typical mediation misconception is that all the family issues have to be settled at one time.  This is false.  Although one mediation session can resolve all the issues, this is usually not the case. When dependent children are involved, one mediation may solely consist of determining child support and creating a timesharing plan. A follow up session would be used to resolve all the other remaining family issues, such as division of marital assets/debts. If you are considering family mediation but you are not ready to resolve all the issues at one time, don't worry. The pace of the mediation process is dictated by the parties. If you are motivated to settle, then perhaps one session is enough.  However, if you are still hesitant, remember that the process can be spread out over more than one session.  Mediation puts the power in your hands!