COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE MEDIATION AND GENERAL MEDIATION

Dr. Douglas Vaselakos, Psy.D., is a certified divorce mediator and a fellow with the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. Along with Dr. Denise Fraser Vaselakos, Psy.D. and Isabel Scannicchio, MA, he provides collaborative mediation and coaching for couples interested in moving through their divorce effectively and efficiently that causes the least amount of emotional and financial damage. Along with divorce and separation mediation, they also provide general mediation for all situations in which two parties cannot make a joint decision on several issues. Still, they would rather settle outside of the court setting.  These situations may include business deals, neighborhood issues, small claims damages, juvenile rehabilitation, inheritance settlements, etc.

ADVANTAGES OF COLLABORATIVE MEDIATION

Traditional Litigation: Each spouse typically hires an attorney and brings any issue they cannot resolve with their attorneys to court during a private meeting. The spouse will have to wait for a court date for each issue that needs to be solved, which furthers the process. The lack of communication between both spouses creates more tension, hurt feelings, and resentment, leading to vengeance. Litigation takes 2-3 years, and within those three years, attorney costs must be considered.


Collaborative Mediation: This process involves each spouse hiring their own attorneys, a mental health professional (with the qualifications of collaboration and mediation certification), and a financial analyst. The spouses and their two attorneys decide on a general amount of times they will need to meet as a group and then proceed from there to discuss the important decisions that have to be made regarding the divorce. By meeting outside of the court system, in a private setting, with the support of a mental health coach, a CPA, and two attorneys, the spouses can resolve important matters while staying focused on the issues instead of letting hurt feelings and resentment control their decisions. Collaborative mediation takes less time than traditional litigation because couples can hash out their issues during collaborative meetings, which means less time spent in the courthouse, waiting for a court date, and meeting individually with the attorney. The most important aspect of collaborative divorce mediation is that the divorcing couple makes all the decisions about their futures, property, children, pets, homes, finances, etc. This process is all about the couple, and it is up to them to show up and work to have a successful civil divorce.

 

* This process can also work for couples who are not legally married but are separating or who share children and assets and would like to collaboratively decide on a custody agreement or financial agreement without involving the court system.

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