Mediation and its Important Role in Family Court Disputes

As mentioned in previous blog posts, there are many ways for a family law attorney to skillfully resolve a case, even in contentious situations. While taking a matter all the way to a judge or jury trial, or evidentiary hearing, may be necessary, there are often more effective and less time-consuming ways to settle a dispute within the family court system. Mediation, be it voluntary or court-ordered, is one such path.

Mediation is one type of what is called an alternative dispute resolution, which have grown in favor and evolved in recent years to help the family divisions of Michigan Circuit Courts lighten their case load burdens. Alternative dispute resolutions are just what they sound like—a method of resolving conflicts in different ways outside the courtroom. Mediation takes place with a neutral third party, who is often an experienced attorney, to serve as a middle ground for two parties with legal disagreements in the family law realm. Mediation can last for a period of hours or even days, and while it’s not always successful, it’s often serves as an effective and helpful tool to solving a family matter without the rigor or embarrassment of a public courtroom proceeding.

Mediation is not binding, but the conversations and proceedings are private so will not be made public record. This is just one reason mediation has come to be a preferred method to creative problem solving in the legal world. If you have any questions about mediation or any other family law issue, call The Law Offices of Joumana Kayrouz today for a free phone consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!