by Stacey H. Langenbahn, J.D. & Linda Miller-deBerard.
There are a growing number of divorcing couples, unmarried parents, or already divorced parents who want to make decisions privately together for their children, without litigation. Instead, they want to begin the process amicably. They start with either with a neutral Collaborative mediator, or a team of neutral professionals who have targeted expertise and can help them find the right resolution from the beginning. These clients are cost conscious, and fair outcomes are important to them.
As a result, groups of professional family mediators are emerging, many with extensive training in Collaborative Law. They are forming core interdisciplinary Collaborative co-mediator teams of a legal and mental health professionals. Stacey Langenbahn and Linda Miller-deBerard offer a Top Ten list of benefits to this type of mediation, and outline what the process looks like.