Find Mediators Near You:

Mediation Is Better Process For Divorce

From the Real Divorce Mediation Blog of Nancy Hudgins and Debra Synovec

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to hear Gloria Steinem, author and activist, famous for the Women’s Liberation Movement, speak at a fundraising luncheon for the YWCA.  She spoke in part about how empowerment starts with the least powerful.  She then gave her ideas about what the world would be like if the YWCA ran it……imagine…..differences would be celebrated rather than being regarded as negatives; hierarchal systems would be replaced with more humane systems and ultimately we would return to our instinctual nature to help each other rather than to compete with each other.

I wonder……what would happen if all divorce and family law matters went straight to facilitated, interest based mediation rather than to the courthouse, our hierarchal traditional approach which often exploits people, focuses on differences, is power based valuing win/lose, control and superiority and pits on family member against the other.  Mediation allows and encourages people to work together, to show natural empathy for each other and to find common ground and the best alternative for all.  What would happen if people getting divorced were guided to their natural instinct to have empathy and work for the benefit of all rather than being led to battle………..Let me guess:
·          Parents and children would feel better and smile sooner….
·          Agreements would be more durable……..
·          The process would be less painful and more empowering………that’s what would happen!
I am sure the list could go on and on …..what do you think?  We would like to know.

                        author

Debra Synovec

Debra Synovec, a Seattle-based mediator and lawyer, has mediated divorces for 20 years. She believes in empowering the parties to reach their own resolution. MORE >

Featured Mediators

ad
View all

Read these next

Category

Commenting on Tentative Recommendation

PGP Mediation Blog by Phyllis G. PollackOn June 22, 2017, the California Law Revision Commission issued its Tentative Recommendation following its study to create an exception to mediation confidentiality (Study K-402). All...

By Phyllis Pollack
Category

Conflict Tipping Podcast Episode 10: Tamsin Parnell on Discourse and Division

In this episode, Laura interviews Tamsin Parnell, a linguistics researcher whose doctoral work focuses on identities, discourses, and division around Brexit. Tamsin is a research associate at the University of...

By Tamsin Parnell, Laura May
Category

NY Times: “Arbitration” = Secretive and Unfair

Business Conflict Blog by Peter Phillips On the front page of today’s New York Times there appears an article reporting on a legal argument that is purportedly being advanced by...

By F. Peter Phillips
×