Realities of What Family Court Judges Can Accomplish

Litigation is the default strategy for adjudicating family law and divorce conflict. Family court judges and commissioners are passionate about serving the family law litigants who appear in their courtrooms, as are mediators specializing in these disputes. But unlike the limitations that judges find themselves enshrined within (rules, rules, rules), mediation contains only the barest of limitations. The minimal constraints for mediation are transparency between the parties and open disclosure about all relevant matters, consent to engage the process, and respectful speech between the parties. While simple, these rules are not so easy to follow which is one reason why adversary litigation for some people aren't going away any time soon. But I believe that a fresh outlook that incorporates integrity into relationship transition may be just a shift in thinking away.

Here is a link to one of my Blogs on our Desert Family Mediation Services website, if you care to read more on this thread.

T.W. Arnold, LAFMS Mediator