Mediation is a common dispute resolution method for Canadians ending a marriage. This process involves two parties negotiating issues related to a split with the help of parties like a mediator and individual lawyers.
Mediation can have several benefits now and in the future.
Short-term benefits
People can experience some benefits right away when they mediate a dispute.
- Turning the page to a new chapter more quickly: Mediation is typically faster than litigation, making it easier for parties to move from the dispute aspect of a divorce to life after the split.
- Easing tensions of transitioning to co-parenting: Reaching solutions cooperatively allows parents to be less combative when figuring out how to raise their children together but separately.
- Getting people on even footing: In litigation, one party can feel like the “winner,” making the other a “loser.” In mediation, parties exit the process on more equal footing.
- Preserving assets: Because mediation is generally less expensive than going to court, participants can save valuable assets for division and use in their new chapter.
Long-term benefits
Other benefits of mediation may not be noticeable right away. In fact, parties could be surprised by the long-term advantages mediation can deliver.
- Setting positive examples for children: Children of parents who have contentious divorce can experience significant long-term challenges, from psychological disorders to poor adult relationships. Further, seeing parents work through disputes together can set an excellent example for impressionable kids.
- Establishing a framework for resolving future disputes: Navigating the mediation process can teach people valuable skills that can serve them in future conflicts.
- Respecting unique situations and wishes: Mediation can help people address specific, personal circumstances more effectively. For instance, parties can worth through issues ranging from a a child’s religious education to dividing retirement assets.
- Minimizing long-term bitterness regarding the divorce process: A long, painful divorce can leave scars that never fully heal. Mediation can reduce the negativity people associate with the family legal system, making it easier to resolve future conflicts that might arise.
Considering the many short- and long-term benefits of mediation, it can certainly be an option worth considering when divorcing.