Situations Where Family Mediation Works

Many people think of mediation when they’re going through a legal separation or divorce, but a mediator is a valuable tool for many different family issues. Family mediation can be an option outside of legal issues to help resolve differences between family members who can’t seem to see eye to eye. You can work out a legally binding agreement if that is your goal or just work out a solution for your situation. Here are some of the ways a mediator can help.

Family Businesses

The family that works together often has different ideas and opinions about how to run the organization. A family mediator is a third party individual that is unbiased and professionally trained to work out those differences and come up with a viable plan to keep the business moving forward. If your business has hit an impasse that seems insurmountable to work through, consider family mediation as an option.

Elder Care  

Siblings who face elder care issues often have a hard time working out their individual differences. There’s an old saying about how one mom could raise two or three children, but three children can’t take care of one mom. When a parent ages, all the childhood issues that were never resolved come into play unless they have been dealt with. A third party family mediator works with everyone involved to find the best solution for your parents and your own situations.

Estate Management and Inheritance

Litigation stemming from inheritance issues is very costly and time consuming. Even if there was a will, a family mediator can assist all the individuals involved in the estate to come to a resolution that works with the deceased wishes and saves you money and time by eliminating a court-based proceeding. You may think everyone is too far apart to try family mediation. Don’t give up before you begin. The mediation process is much less troublesome than letting the court work out your issues.

Post-Divorce Coparenting

As children age, new issues are likely to develop that have to be worked out. When parents have gone through a messy divorce, Coparenting can be very difficult as children turn into teenagers with their own ideas about how the world should be. Bringing family mediation to the situation is a way to give everyone a voice and learn new communication skills to help them navigate future situations. Whether it’s working out new child custody and child support arrangements or who pays for college, an unbiased mediator is a valuable tool to help your family. Consider a mediator before the situation disintegrates and the court has to get involved.