Co-Mediation in Divorce

“I would like to commend Barry for a very professional, intelligent and positive handling of my case … his handling of the situation was the very best anyone could expect … thus saving me thousands of dollars in legal fees.” — Joseph C. More Client Comments

Co-mediation involves two mediators working together as a team to assist a couple in reaching agreement. Co-mediation is used in a broad variety of mediation cases, but is particularly well-suited for divorce mediation.

Some of the benefits of using co-mediation in divorce include:

1. Gender Balance — a male/female mediation team offers clients the opportunity to have their needs, concerns and interests heard, understood and appreciated by someone of their own gender as well as someone of the other gender. This breadth of perspectives and interpretations is often helpful in assisting the spouses in their understanding of each other.
2. Complementary Skills Sets — Pairing an attorney with family law experience with a mediator familiar with the psychological and financial aspects of divorce provides a very solid foundation for the divorcing couple to work through the legal, emotional and financial aspects of divorce.
3. Two Heads are Better than One — Having two mediators allows each to focus on different aspects of the mediation and often move the process along more efficiently while also avoiding potential pitfalls. While one mediator is actively leading the discussions the other can step back from the situation in order to ‘see the big picture’ and help keep things on track. For example, while one mediator is helping the couple work through a specific question or issue, the other mediator can mentally review what has been discussed and what the next steps might be.
4. Two Perspectives are Better than One — Because they have two life histories and therefore two sets of experiences, perspectives and educations, co-mediators can often bring increased insight into a mediation and offer greater flexibility in responding to the complex issues involved in a divorce.

Overall, having both male and female mediators, as well as mediators with complementary skill sets, can help make the parties feel more comfortable and create a sense of confidence and balance that facilitates settlement.

Barry can bring in one of several attorneys and/or financial professionals to co-mediate your case depending on what is most appropriate for your situation. If this is something you are interested in please ask for further information when you contact our office.