What is mediation & collaborative law?
Individuals who choose mediation agree to work with their spouses in a cooperative, non-adversarial way to resolve their disputed issues can participate in either mediation or collaborative law. The mediator is a neutral, third party, that assists the spouses. This process relies on the parties to be the principal negotiators, with the mediator helping to keep the process structured and focused on interests and solutions that work for both parties. The mediator does not act as an advocate for either party. The ultimate resolution may look like the probable outcome in law, but the process offers the parties the most freedom to find solutions that may work best for them. In collaborative law, the parties commit at the outset to resolve the case through negotiation rather than court action. Each party is represented by an attorney; however the attorneys agree not to be litigation counsel. Unlike mediation, when parties choose a collaborative process, the parties are actively represented b
