What is Marital Mediation?

Marital Mediation services include: separation, divorce, parenting plans, and post-divorce issues.

Marital Mediation is a voluntary process that helps to create fair and realistic agreements about the issues effecting people when they dissolve a relationship.  Mediation is an alternative service to litigation (court involvement).  Milford Area Mediation Program uses trained and certified professionals to conduct marital mediation, usually in a co-mediation model.  Mediators do not replace legal counsel.  Mediators are neutral, open-minded parties who facilitate communication and guide negotiations.  The service is provided at reduced fees (compared to other professional mediation agencies and the costs associated with hiring attorneys for court proceedings).  The goal of a mediated divorce is to help the parties reach sustainable agreements on the issues the court expects to be resolved. 

Benefits of Mediation

Mediation     versus     Litigation

Motivated by parties

  Motivated by attorneys

Direct negotiations

  Separate negotiations

Cooperative process

  Adversarial process

Parties decide outcome

  Judge dictates outcome

Efficient and concise

  Costly and prolonged

Mediation provides the parties control over the outcome, which generally creates greater satisfaction and an increased likelihood for implementing the final agreement.  Mediation can also be a process to help preserve or improve relationships.