Divorce Mediation
Mediation of divorce cases became a major movement in the 1980's. Bruce Louden was a pioneer in the divorce mediation field, mediating cases since 1981. Lawyers, as well as mental health professionals, are still in the process of developing this non-adversarial approach to dealing with divorce.
Divorce mediation is not therapy or marriage counseling, although we consider it a more therapeutic way to go through the divorce process. There also is a common misconception that mediation is designed to preserve or reconcile marriages. Most people who go through divorce mediation in fact end up divorced. However, studies show that 90 percent of the parties who go through divorce mediation remain satisfied with their settlements and abide by them.
Divorce mediation requires three people who wish to go about consideration of terminating a marriage in a special manner: two reasonable spouses and a mediator. The success of divorce mediation depends upon the candor, desire, sensitivity and competence of the three participants. If a husband and wife are in good faith and wish to deal openly and reasonably with each other, and if they work with a competent and concerned mediator, the result generally is positive.
We see a mediator's job as helping husbands and wives see that their relationship, especially when children are involved, is not ending. Rather, the family relationships are being restructured. In the process, everyone's needs will be examined and revised, as family arrangements are made in a cooperative manner.