We recommend that couples have the agreements they reach in mediation reviewed by attorneys and…
Marital Mediation
Couples in complex and challenging circumstances can use marital mediation to preserve and strengthen their relationships.
Couples in challenging circumstances that are causing stress on their relationships can restore harmony using marital mediation. Issues arise from time to time in every marriage. They may involve finances, in-law relationships, caring for elderly or disabled family members, negotiating family responsibilities, dealing with stepchildren, or managing the illness, injury, or disability of a spouse or partner.
Mediation offers a safe and private space to solve these types of problems cooperatively. By working with an impartial mediator, the parties can dramatically improve the quality of their interactions. The mediator can help frame and summarize issues and explore potential options. Instead of responding to each other purely out of emotions, the parties learn to think about and respond carefully to the other’s requests. Mutual respect grows. Decisions made in mediation are typically well-informed and responsive to the couple’s unique needs and situation.
Mediation is different from couples therapy. In couples therapy, the therapist attempts to diagnose and treat personality and relationship problems stemming from the spouses’ personal, family, and sexual history. Mediation resolves specific, negative, recurring interactions and ongoing disputes. Unlike a therapist, a mediator can also directly address financial issues causing stress on the relationship. Additionally, a marital mediator who also provides divorce mediation services can educate the couple about what a divorce under the facts of their relationship might look like.
Marital mediation can be a one-time event, or it can involve a series of meetings. The goal is not only to make decisions as a couple, but also to improve the relationship between the parties. As such, marital mediation is preventative. Its use as needed can promote a long and healthy marriage.
Contact us at 919-263-2003 to schedule a free consultation if you and your spouse are interested in marital mediation.