Mediation Services St. Louis - What is Mediation? Mediation Definition

Views 14

Mediation Services St. Louis - What is Mediation? Mediation Definition https://MediationServicesLLC.com (314) 272-0727

Hi, my name is Nicole Davis, I provide divorce and mediation services in St. Louis Missouri.

When I talk with people about what it is that I do, I’m often asked, “what is mediation?”

I have to tell you….that is a GREAT question! I often forget that mediation is still an unfamiliar term for most people. So, I’d like to share with you the definition of mediation.

To start, the formal mediation definition is “the intervention in a dispute in order to resolve it”. But this isn’t how I explain mediation because quite frankly, that definition isn’t at all helpful.

Instead I use an example because real life examples are easier to understand and relate to.

So, imagine that you know a couple that has decided to divorce, they have children, a family business and they are active members of their community. This couple, like so many, have tried privately to fix their marriage but to no avail.

They’ve decide that it would be better for the family if they divorce. Husband and wife are still on speaking terms (please don’t confuse this with being without emotion or disagreement), they are both comfortable in expressing their concerns & wants, they find it important to handle this divorce in a private and amicably way – for the sake of the business, finances and emotional health. But most of all THEY WANT TO DO THIS RIGHT FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR CHILDREN.

Well this couple has two options they can either, handle their divorce the amicable way or the litigated way.

Now most people are only familiar with the litigated route to divorce. The litigated route is where each spouse hires an attorney. The attorneys require upfront money called retainers that range anywhere from $1,500 - $10,000+ PER SPOUSE.

Oftentimes, this initial retainer is just to get the initial paperwork filed with the court, collect the standard documents from each client and maybe have a couple of phone calls between the attorneys. Nothing’s been resolved for the initial upfront cost.

Litigated divorces can take anywhere from one to three plus years to complete. Can you imagine the legal fees involved in a litigated divorce? Here's the kicker....the entire divorce is open to the public….anyone can be a spectator.

The second option is MEDIATION.

Mediation is a private, confidential, amicable, and is a financially reasonable way to divorce. Mediation focuses on understanding the issues, goal setting, brainstorming, problem-solving and resolving the divorce – in a matter of months not years.

This process costs between $3,000 & $10,00 TOTAL – for both spouses. Compare this to $3,000 - $20,000 JUST TO GET THE PAPERWORK STARTED in litigation.

In Mediation, the spouses engage an unbiased, non-judgmental, third-party neutral called a mediator.

A mediator has been trained in conflict resolution and serves to help the parties identify the issues, set goals, prioritize, brainstorm, problem-solve, and craft agreements that resolve the issues at hand. When parties are stuck and unable to communicate or articulate effectively, the mediator helps to put the feelings and emotions into words so that they can be addressed and resolved.

See, the formal mediation definition is much more than just “intervening in a dispute in order to resolve it”. Mediation is the act of facilitating communication, where communication has been lost, and helping parties find resolution outside the court system while fostering healthy relationships that thrive after the conflict has been resolved. Mediation helps to heal wounds, not create new ones.

If you are getting divorced or want to know more about your divorce options or if you are looking for a mediator in Missouri or Illinois then give us a call (314) 272-0727 or visit our website at https://MediationServicesLLC.com

And to see more videos subscribe to our YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA1Ini5z-Xsq2zWLvED7CNg

Share This Video


Download

  
Report form