Long Island Divorce Mediation Specialties

Divorce Mediation in Long Island is a specialized area of family law dedicated to helping divorcing couples work out their differences without going to trial or allowing a judge to dictate orders which govern post-divorce relationships.

Divorce Mediators are not Attorneys

While Long Island divorce mediation services are often available through or affiliated with family law attorneys, mediators do not replace lawyers during the divorce process. Mediators facilitate discussions between divorcing spouses by keeping conversations focused on mutual goals and issues of conflict. Of course, if your divorce mediator is also a divorce attorney, you have the best of both worlds.

Divorce Mediators Don't Take Sides

A professional mediator has specialized training in communication and negotiation. Acting as a neutral third-party, divorce mediators listen objectively to both sides and then guide each participant to explore solutions to reach resolutions that are fair and acceptable to both parties. While mediators guide the discussion, they do not decide who is right or wrong. Instead the role of the mediator is to help the two parties see each issue from the other point of view in order to reach a compromise that is acceptable.

Even though mediation specialists are not always lawyers, they should be familiar with New York Family Laws and statues governing child support, visitation, child custody, property division, grandparents' rights, and legal enforcement.

Divorce Mediation Specialists Enable Effective Communication

As the marital relationship erodes, communication often fails. A neutral observer often helps both spouses express themselves without allowing emotions like anger, frustration, emotional pain, and mistrust to control their speech.

By encouraging each party to speak clearly without casting blame or being defensive, a professional divorce mediation specialist enables the couple to prepare a written agreement called a Memorandum of Understanding. This document serves as a preliminary outline for a legally binding agreement that lays out settlement terms, including the division of property, which are discussed during negotiation sessions.

Specialization and Family Law

Divorce Mediation, Long Island attorneys. and the family court systems in Nassau County and Suffolk County work with couples seeking a divorce to reach solutions that allow everyone to get beyond their difficult marriage and go forward with less stress and strain on the family dynamic.

Although most divorce mediators do not specialize in just one area, such as child custody negotiations or property division, some mediators meet with individual parties to discuss sensitive issues. Private meetings give the mediator valuable insight into the challenges and obstacles that prevent effective two-way communication.

Mediators work closely with parties to craft viable solutions to difficult situations; however, they do not go to court with either spouse if negotiations break down and the divorce ends up in court.

Collaborative Divorce and Preliminary Negotiations

Long Island couples may choose to end their divorce without court intervention through a Collaborative Divorce or they may seek the guidance of a Long Island divorce mediation specialist to help them prepare for court.

Long Island attorneys often recommend divorce mediation services to their clients as a cost-effective alternative to traditional litigation because mediation is normally less expensive and less time-consuming than navigating the court system. Additionally, couples who choose divorce mediation on Long Island are usually more satisfied with the final parenting plan, as they were able to design it to fit their needs, rather than be forced to accept one issued by the court.

For more information about Divorce Attorney Long Island  and Divorce Mediation Suffolk County Please visit: Divorce-longisland.com