Parties that want a more peaceful alternative to battling out a legal issue in court may turn to a family law mediator in Shelton Connecticut for help. A family law mediator in Shelton Connecticut is a professional who helps parties work through their legal problems without litigating the issues in court. Some of the important ways that family law mediators help include:
Mediators Help the Parties Retain Their Focus
During a divorce, custody battle or other legal issue, it can be easy to feel offended, want revenge or harbor other negative feelings given the current conflict. Mediators can emphasize the need of ignoring personal issues in order to think about what is best for the child. This helps the parties focus on what really matters.
The Process Is Less Threatening
Courts are intimidating for many people. A judge often has the discretion to make important decisions about a family that can have a long-lasting impact on all parties involved. A mediator does not have decision-making authority, so the parties can freely speak and negotiate with each other without worrying about how this will impact the final resolution.
Mediation Is Confidential
Parties must typically agree that nothing said in mediation can be used in court if a solution is not reached in mediation. However, the confidential nature of mediation also provides the parties with greater privacy than the litigation process, which is public in nature so the parties can work out their family issues without the observation of strangers. The confidential nature of mediation also allows the parties to speak more freely since they know this information cannot later be used against them.