Custody battles and office conflicts can't always be solved by the courts

It is often said that when you go to court, even the winner loses.  It is more accurate to say that going to court ignores the broader aspects of people’s lives.  Courtrooms and lawyers have a short and narrow horizon — it stretches only as far as the next deadline, the next required action in the court’s scheduling order, or the next case on the docket.  People’s lives are simply bigger than the container imposed by the legal process.  Ignoring that fact can permanently sever important relations between family members and business associates.

The law focuses on the past - who incurred which debts, who has made most of the decisions about the children, how was authority designated, who was responsible for approving the budget, etc. Mediation in combination with legal procedures focuses on the future. I ask clients and parents, what is your vision of a productive workplace, or a healthy family, and how can you get there? What tools and support will you need to achieve your goals? I am hopeful that an empowered and knowledgeable consumer will choose to use mediation as one of their tools.