Eight Tips for a Successful Mediation in a Family Law Matter

Mediation has become an important component in family law proceedings. Going to trial ' once you finally get there after waiting months, sometimes years, due to busy court dockets and unnecessarily prolonged litigation ' is expensive, takes quite an emotional toll on the parties and, at the end of the day, requires waiting for an uncertain result because no one can truly predict how the judge is going to rule. Accordingly, while court intervention in family law matters is sometimes inevitable, in the vast majority of cases it is in both parties' interests to resolve their divorce, post-dissolution issues, paternity action, or other family law matter in mediation. This article offers eight tips for making the most of mediation in a family law matter.