Meditation at OMC during divorce is a way of finding solutions to issues such as child custody and spousal support. It is an alternative to the formal process of divorce court. During mediation, both parties to the divorce, and sometimes their attorneys, meet with a neutral third party. This third party, the “mediator” assists the parties in negotiating a resolution to their divorce.

Parties have the opportunity to discuss the issues, generate options, and come to terms that they both agree to.

The mediator is an objective party. It is not his/her job to resolve problems or force an agreement on the parties. He/She helps the parties come to an agreement by acting as an intermediary.

Advantages of Mediation:

• Saves time and money. When successful, mediation means sidestepping the formal process of divorce court. This shortens the process for the parties and helps reduce the caseload of the Family Court System.
• Is fair to all concerned. The mediator is a third party who has no interest in the outcome. He/she stands to gain nothing.
• Is a confidential process. There is no court reporter taking down every word said. Notes taken by the mediator are shredded afterwards. You don’t have to worry about your “dirty laundry” being aired in public. There is no public court process.
• Avoids long, drawn-out litigation, saves time & money in attorney fees and cuts down on the steps one normally has to go through to obtain a divorce.

Source: What is Divorce Mediation and How Does it Work? By Cathy Meyer