Nine Reasons to Mediate Your Conflict

1. Mediation keeps you in control.  In mediation, parties retain 100% control over their agreement, unlike court which puts matters into the hands of a stranger who may or may not share their values.  The mediator does not determine the outcome of the dispute – the parties do.

2. Mediation is private.   No one needs to know that you have gone to mediation. Though there are a few exceptions (like child abuse or threats of violence), pretty much nothing said during a mediation can be held against a party later in court.

3. Mediation is cost effective.  Both parties split the cost of the mediator as well as any experts that are required. But also, because it de-fuses conflict and help parties work together instead of against each other, mediation most likely requires fewer paid hours.

4. Mediation resolves the dispute . The parties to mediation generally agree that their agreement is enforceable in court, and there are fewer enforcement actions because a voluntary agreement is less likely to be challenged.

5. Mediation saves relationships.  Gain the satisfaction of knowing that a disagreement has been resolved in a peaceable manner.

6. Mediation is at your own pace.  Parties might reach agreement in one session, scheduled almost immediately. On the other hand, sometimes people need time to mull things over and adjust to ideas.  So long as the parties are moving forward with progress, mediations can be scheduled over several sessions, thus enabling all parties to sort out all options and come to peace with various solutions.

7. Mediation enables parties to be creative. Mediation enables parties to address root causes of conflict through every means available, including options or strategies that would not be available by way of court order.

8. Mediation allows you to communicate your position.  Unlike court, in which testimony is tightly controlled, mediation allows parties to air their dispute fully in a process which is designed to encourage each other to really listen, hear, and understand.

9. Mediation is low risk Mediation has an easy exit. If either party feels mediation isn’t working, the parties can return to the old way of doing things.

Need more information?  Click HERE for a more extensive article explaining what mediation is and what its benefits are, or HERE for a list of 20 reasons!