When two people are in the process of separating, things can get heated quickly. It's not unusual for disagreements to elevate into outright warfare, and for the two positions to move further and further apart, instead of reaching a compromise. This can be a potentially disastrous outcome, especially if children are involved. Even if they aren't, serious disagreements can simply protract the all-important settlement phase, prohibiting all parties from getting on with their lives. With such polarising positions in place, is family court the only way forward, or is there another alternative?

How to Make Progress

It's easy to say, but difficult to do. Both parties need to be able to overturn their animosity, bury the hatred and put the children first. This position can only be achieved if both parties talk to each other in a reasonable manner, if only for the amount of time necessary to reach a resolution.

The Better Alternative

If you realise that this is the last resort but would prefer not to take the whole situation in front of the family court, why not consider professional mediation instead? To do this, you need to get in touch with a solicitor who has direct experience in these matters and is trained in pursuing the right outcome.

Once you are able to discuss all of the issues calmly with a third party, realistic options will start to emerge that suit everybody. Surely, this is a far better option than the somewhat sterile environment of a courtroom?

One to One

Ideally, your legal team will have a trained mediator of the same sex for each party. This will allow both perspectives to be presented and taken into account by both parties, and, in any case, it will allow both sides of the argument to come out in a neutral environment.

Likelihood of Success

Progress is likely to be made because this is an elective procedure and there is no pressure (perceived or otherwise) associated with a court environment. The decisions made in this type of collaborative mediation session will be more meaningful and far more likely to stick.

If you find that you are just knocking your heads together at the moment, but really don't want to go to a family court if you can help it, ask your attorney how they can help you with some initial mediation sessions. It may be just what you need.