In my experience, many people think about working with family law professionals when facing the end of a relationship and finding themselves needing help dividing property and time with children. One of the aspects of mediation that I have been so impressed with in my work with families has been its effectiveness not only when divorcing or separating but also for people forming relationships and renegotiating their situations. I see mediation as a tool that can be used when people are moving in together, preparing to marry, or deciding on how they want to co-parent, for example. I have also worked with people who have been together a long time, don’t have plans to divorce or separate, but know that some things in their relationship need to change and want some help developing agreements they can both live with while remaining together. Mediation is often thought of as an alternative to litigation – which it certainly can be. However, it can also be helpful to consider whether working with a professional trained to help parties identify solutions that work for everyone might be effective as relationships change at any time. Especially in today’s world of marriages that may occur later in life, blended families, and a wide range of approaches to becoming parents, it can be incredibly helpful to receive support and guidance from professionals with experience in family law and mediating conflicts. We know relationships are full of complexities and sometimes even irreconcilable differences. However, I have been so pleased to see that mediation used as one approach to addressing many complex situations and differences – an approach that has enormous appeal for people at all stages of relationships.
