Newport Beach Divorce Mediator Lani Baron discusses, “Why Don’t We Hear More About Divorce Mediation?
Why Don’t We Hear More About Divorce Mediation?
Recently, a couple came to my office and asked me why they usually only hear about litigated divorces instead of divorce mediation. This question really made me think for a second. As a divorce mediation attorney, I spend so much time doing divorce mediation, researching it, and reading about it, that I actually began to believe it was talked about everywhere! It never really dawned on me that people don’t have access to enough information about divorce mediation. After much thought, I have listed what I think the reasons for this are:
1. Less drama:
Simply put, a typical divorce is a nightmare. The client is paying exorbitant attorney’s fees, while trying to keep track of court dates and other nuisances. Divorce mediation, on the other hand, runs pretty smoothly for the most part. That means that clients have less to complain about to their family and friends.
2. Privacy:
One of the main things that drives people to the divorce mediation process is the desire for privacy. These clients do not want their dirty laundry aired to family and friends. It only makes sense that these same people are not running around discussing their divorce with anyone that will listen.
3. Lack of Education:
As effective as divorce mediation is, it is still a relatively new concept in comparison to litigation. There has been less time to publicize it and educate the public about it. I can’t even count how many times people tell me that they didn’t know that divorce mediation was out there. Even when people are aware of the general concept of divorce mediation, they don’t understand how much more efficient it is than other legal processes. Part of our mission at Alternative Divorce Solutions includes public outreach. We do several speaking engagements, conferences and seminars on the benefits of mediation. Through this, we believe we can promote divorce mediation as a solution for more families, thereby saving them time, money, and emotional resources.