Using Co-Mediation to Enhance Divorce Mediation

Attending mediation is one of the best decisions the parties can make during their divorce. During mediation, a third party neutral, called a mediator, helps the parties create their own settlement agreement on issues involving their children, their property, and even some future issues that may arise, such as the relocation of a parent. Mediation takes the case out of the hands of the court and allows the parties to decide how their disagreements will be resolved.

During co-mediation, there are two mediators present during the session to help the parties settle the case. Co-mediation offers additional benefits to the session and often make settlement much more likely. Co-mediation is especially useful in emotional cases, such as divorce mediation and child custody disputes.

For example, co-mediation often increases the efficiency of the mediation session. During traditional mediation, the mediator must go back and forth between the parties and inform them of each other’s positions and arguments. With co-mediation, however, two mediators may work with the parties at the same time to determine how they may meet in the middle and agree to settle certain issues.

Additionally, co-mediation may allow the mediators to focus on different areas in the case. For example, perhaps one mediator will focus on issues involving the children, whereas the other mediator will help the parties resolve their property disagreements.

The additional experience and skills that a second mediator provides will only benefit your case. With two neutrals, it is much more likely that at least one of the mediators has helped settle cases with similar fact patterns to yours in the past. The pair can work as a team to help resolve highly emotional issues, such as a visitation schedule, and complex issues, such as the division of the couple’s business.