Wm Boyd Lyons
Tel. 404-252-4325
boydlyons@mindspring.com
Wm Boyd Lyons
Tel. 404-252-4325
boyd@boydlyons.com
Advantages of Mediation
More Control—the parties control the outcome instead of a third party.
Less Cost—Mediation is much less expensive than litigation.
More Flexibility—an agreement can be structured to meet everyone’s key needs.
Less Stress—Mediation is an informal process that avoids the trauma most people feel when they must testify in court.
Relationships Preserved—With mediation it is much more likely that important relationships will be preserved.
Better Agenda—The parties determine what issues will be discussed and the order and pace of the discussion.
Confidentiality—Mediation is conducted in a private setting. All parties and the mediator agree in advance to keep confidential everything that is said during the mediation.
A Choice to Consider
Every marriage faces conflict at some point. When the conflict is so serious that the husband and wife cannot resolve it themselves, professional help may be necessary. When couples are contemplating separation or divorce they often seek to resolve their differences through the legal system. That has the advantage of eventually providing a final solution, but it also has some significant disadvantages for a family. For one thing, the legal system sets the husband and wife up as adversaries. It then creates a winner and a loser. This tends to drive the couple apart and often makes one or both spouses feel that the final resolution is not fair. Of course, the legal system is also very expensive and time consuming. Litigated divorce cases can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and expenses and can take years to be finally resolved. Meanwhile, the husband and wife remain adversaries "fighting for their rights" and the children are often caught in the middle After the divorce the parents may remain bitter toward each other, and that has a substantial effect on the children.
It doesn't have to be that way. Even given their disagreements, most couples who want to separate or dissolve their marriage desire to do so in a way that will serve their overall best interests and also the best interests of their children. The decisions that must be made are often difficult and require sacrifice, but they need not be adversarial. The couple can work together, with the help of a trained professional, to restructure their family in a way that will help them continue to interact with each other on a civil basis and minimize the effect of the separation on their children. They make their own decisions rather putting their fate in the hands of a judge or jury where the outcome is always uncertain. They retain the right to have their agreement reviewed and revised by their separate legal and financial advisors before it becomes binding. Once finalized the agreement can be filed with the court as part of an uncontested divorce proceeding, a process that is far less expensive and far less damaging to their continued relationship than a full court proceeding.
The process for accomplishing that is called mediation. This Website is designed to explain the process and the issues usually involved and to introduce a competent and experienced mediator who can answer your questions.
