Mediation is commonly the first step in settling family disputes. You allow a third party to hear both sides and help you foster compromise.
The more prepared you are walking into mediation, the better your chance of success. Consider some tips to inform your mediation approach.
Be in the right state of mind
Keeping an open mind and remaining patient ensures you present yourself well during the process and allows you to reach a compromise more efficiently. Mediation offers more flexibility than litigation. Therefore, approaching it with a willingness to be open allows you to take advantage of the benefits, particularly the ability to customize an agreement to more closely meet your wants and needs.
Present your case to the mediator before the mediation
The more information the mediator has, the better. It is up to both parties to provide them with the information they need to help form an opinion and develop a compromise that will benefit everyone involved. If you have legal representation, you can ask them to draft a position statement and share how you define reasonable and unreasonable demands.
Prepare to close
Entering mediation with the intention to bring negotiations to a close successfully can set the mood for the entire process. You can already have an agreement drafted and signed before you leave the session. Bring everything you need to make that happen and you tell yourself that is the end game, rather than getting everything you want.
When both parties willingly compromise, mediation offers a faster and more efficient solution to solving disputes.
