Common Questions You Should Think About When You Choose Mediation

Mediation is chosen by millions of people each year in America to handle everything from business disputes to legal divorce of couples. Even unmarried couples with children often count on mediators to help them. Mediation is a cost-effective solution that aims to ensure that all parties get the best outcome they can from the process frequently a win-win can be crafted via mediation. Instead of each party hiring their own legal counsel to litigate, mediators work with everyone involved so that there is no fighting and most importantly no losing. One thing that can help the process of mediation is for all parties to take some time to do some self-reflection. Understanding what you are trying to get out of the process of mediation can go a long way in achieving an outcome you want. That is why these questions can help you better communicate your goals during mediation.

What Do You Want From Mediation?

The simplest place to start is to establish what you want to get out of mediation. If you are entering mediation with your current spouse, consider what your goals are for the separation. If you have children, you need to consider parenting time and how your goals reflect your planned lifestyle. For instance, if your goal is to move or your career requires you to travel, these elements of your life will need to be considered when choosing a parenting plan that works for both you and your children. 

Why Do You Want This? 

Oftentimes individuals get hung up on what they want and forget why they want it. If you go into mediation with simply a list of your expectations, it may not help you negotiate. You need to consider your motivations as well as the other party’s motivations. Understanding why you want what you want can help you communicate it better and helps the mediator make suggestions. It will help if you focus on the issues, rather than specific positions. The mediator can help you get to the issues you would like to address and in some cases, a mediator may be able to suggest a better solution that works for what you want that you may not have considered when you first went into mediation. 

Does What You Want Conflict Or Complement What The Other Party Wants? 

Mediation is all about compromise. Instead of fighting a legal battle, you are working together to find a solution that works for all parties. It is important to consider what the other party wants. Consider how your wants either conflict or complement their wants. Finding where things meet is just as important as understanding where things don’t. It is also valuable to be aware of the other party’s goals so you can both anticipate potential issues and solutions.

Mediation Services in Massachusetts

A seasoned mediator will help all parties through each of these questions as well as many more. The goal of every mediator is to help couples and businesses find solutions that are beneficial to all the involved parties. That is why Deirdre Healy in Worcester is happy to work with clients throughout Massachusetts to provide her mediation services.