Gather necessary information.
Know as much as you can about your case and bring any relevant documentation. If you are in doubt about whether information is relevant, err on the side of caution and bring it with you. Knowledge is very powerful when you are trying to resolve a dispute. For divorce and child custody/support cases, we have lists of items you should bring with you.
Make Yourself Comfortable.
Mediation is a much less formal process than going to court and we want you to be as comfortable as possible. Wear comfortable clothes. Dress in layers. Feel free to bring your phone, laptop, books, magazines, or anything else that you may want to help fill the time that the mediator may be meeting with the other party. We generally keep snacks and drinks at our office and often order lunch for mediation that go all day. However, please feel free to bring any snacks or drinks that you may want throughout the day.
Clear your schedule.
Mediation is a process. In most cases, that process can take a substantial amount of time. It is impossible to predict how much time a particular case will take. As such, I generally plan for a mediation to take the entire day and ask that the parties do the same. Before mediation, please make sure that you will be available for the entire day. Make childcare and work arrangements accordingly. When there are not scheduling conflicts involved, parties generally feel much more relaxed and it is more likely that the case will resolve.
Plan to keep an open mind.
Every mediation is different and no mediation ever goes exactly as a party plans. Inevitably, mediation leads to parties learning new information or being given the opportunity to see existing information from a new perspective. When parties remain flexible and open to new ideas, it is much more likely that their case will resolve and that they will find solutions that are best suited for their unique situation.
Contact us to help.
Let us help you find a better way.