Divorce and Family Law Office of Joanne Kleiner

Divorce Lawyer Joanne Kleiner

divorce mediation

Aug 20

Mediation and Children’s Emotional Health

Divorce can be a contentious and emotionally fraught process that has a lasting impact on everyone. When there are children involved, the way that the parents interact during the divorce process can leave long-lasting emotional effects. Mediation can provide a way for parents to work towards resolving child custody, support, and other related issues in a more amicable way, modeling positive conflict resolution for their children and putting the children’s best interests first.

How Does Mediation Work?

Mediation works by having both parties to a divorce work with a neutral third party to resolve their issues and reach a divorce agreement. Both spouses can have their own divorce lawyer to support them, but the neutral third party listens to each side on the issues and helps them find a solution that both can agree on.

Even couples who might not get along very well, in general, can find it beneficial to have that third party present to listen and help as it can make the divorce process run its course faster, and it can also be less costly. Working together to resolve these issues instead of fighting in court can also reduce the tension between the parties. A faster and more peaceful resolution to the divorce is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic when the tension in some households has risen so much that it ended in abuse. Resolving a divorce quickly and without acrimony can be particularly helpful when there are children involved who will be affected by their parents’ interactions during this period.

How Mediation Can Benefit Children in the Middle of a Divorce

Divorce is a highly emotional process for everyone involved. Parents might become so consumed in their battle with each other that they might not even perceive how their children are being affected by this and how these effects will have a long-lasting impact on their emotional health. However, when parents decide that mediation is the right path towards divorce, they will need to sit down together, put their emotional issues aside, and work towards finding a way forward. During mediation, parents not only discuss the division of property. They can resolve many issues including custody and visitation, parenting plans, child support, and tax issues related to the children.

With the support of the mediator and each parent’s respective divorce lawyer, parents can model more positive behavior towards conflict resolutions that show their children that divorce does not mean the end of the family and that, even as their marriage is ending, parents are thinking first of what is best for their children.

Helping Your Children During Divorce

The dissolution of marriage is a time where children can experience anger and grief as they face what can seem to them to be the end of their family. They might act out and struggle at home and in school during this period. There are many ways you can help your children cope through and after divorce. They need both parents actively involved in their lives. Working together through mediation to reach an agreement on child-related issues can show the children that both parents are committed to them even if their relationship with each other has ended. Through your support, your children can overcome the many challenges they encounter during this time. You can offer your children support through a variety of ways, including:

  • listening to their fears and concerns about the future
  • being patient with their own process of grief
  • providing routines and stability
  • modeling positive interactions between parents
  • encouraging and supporting the time the child spends with the other parent

If you are a parent who is getting divorced and would like to explore the option of mediation to resolve your issues, contact the Law Office of Joanne Kleiner for assistance. You can call us at 215-885-1266 to schedule an appointment in our Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, office.

Aug 09

Some Myths about Divorce Mediation

resolving divorce

Though mediation has become a key component in resolving divorce and family law disputes in Pennsylvania, there are still many myths that revolve around the process. Here are some of those myths dispelled.

Myth: Our Failure to Communicate during Our Marriage Will Make Mediation Impossible

It seems logical—if you were unable to effectively work things out when you were living together, why should you expect to use that process to settle any disputes tied to your divorce? The reality is that divorce mediators are trained to identify and respond to your differences and have a number of strategies that can be employed to circumvent any potential gridlock. That’s a key difference from your marriage—it’s unlikely that you had a third person willing to step in and act as an intermediary, so that you could identify and implement a mutually beneficial solution.

Myth: We’ll Never Be Able to Agree on Everything, So It Won’t Work

The whole purpose of mediation is to resolve those things upon which you must agree. If there are still things that you don’t see eye-to-eye on, but don’t affect your ability to move forward, you’ll be fine. As long as you resolve the things you must resolve, the process will work.

Myth: In Mediation, One Spouse Typically Dominates the Other

Your mediator will usually know how to assess the balance of power in your relationship and will work proactively to ensure that one spouse does not take advantage of the other. In a worst-case scenario, the mediator can simply terminate the mediation to prevent coercion or undue influence.

Myth: Mediation Usually Favors the Man

There’s no evidence to support this concern. Either party has the right to end the mediation at any time or to refuse to sign any proposed mediation agreement. That’s often a better position to be in than having a court order the outcome.

Contact the Law Office of Joanne E. Kleiner & Associates

For an appointment, contact our office online or call us at 215-886-1266. Let us use our experience, skill, knowledge and resources to help you make informed and effective decisions.

Jul 28

Frequently Asked Questions about Divorce Mediation in Pennsylvania

Divorce Mediation

Even with the difficult emotions you face after your marriage has ended, you may still want to find ways to amicably resolve your differences with your ex-spouse. One of the most effective ways to do this is through divorce mediation.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a proceeding involving a third party “neutral,” someone who represents neither you nor your spouse. Instead, the mediator is tasked with helping you work together to identify and implement mutually beneficial solutions to your differences. The mediator does not make any determinations of “right and wrong,” and will not make any determinations of fact or render any rulings in favor of one party or the other. In addition, while evidence may be helpful to help work toward solutions, evidence is never used to persuade the court or to seek a finding by the mediator.

What are the Benefits of Divorce Mediation?

There are a number of advantages to pursuing a resolution to your divorce through mediation:

  • Typically, mediation is less expensive than litigation—First, the parties generally split the cost of mediation services. Second, because there’s no jury and the mediator will not make any determinations of fact, there’s no need to engage in lengthy discovery of evidence, one of the components of litigation that involves substantial expense. Furthermore, because you typically resolve the issues through interaction and compromise, there’s usually no need for costly expert witnesses.
  • Mediation can be completed in far less time—With most mediators, you can schedule mediation within a couple months. Furthermore, most mediation is completed in one or a couple sessions, as there’s no need to call witnesses, introduce evidence and engage in the seemingly endless motions and procedures found at trial.
  • Mediation gives you an active voice in the resolution—With a court proceeding, you put forward evidence and then wait for a third party (the judge or jury) to rule on the evidence. In mediation, you can propose a new resolution at any time and can always reject a proposed resolution from your ex-spouse.
  • Mediation improves post-divorce relationships—A key benefit, especially when there are minor children, is that you don’t engage in bitter or acrimonious exchanges, so you’re better able to move forward together.

Contact Us

At the office of Joanne E. Kleiner & Associates, we have more than 25 years of family law experience. We’ll help you stay focused on what matters. To schedule an appointment with an experienced Pennsylvania divorce attorney, contact our office online or call us at 215-886-1266.

Jun 14, 2012

Divorce Mediation in Pennsylvania

Divorce can easily become a lose-lose proposition, and often everyone involved ends up emotionally scarred — particularly in heavily litigated divorces. However, divorce mediation offers an alternative to bitter court battles and may make your divorce less stressful. Even in cases where the ex-spouses feel animosity toward one another, an experienced Pennsylvania divorce mediator can help resolve situations that at first seem impossible.

What is divorce mediation?

Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party helps you resolve disputes relative to your divorce. The goal of divorce mediation is to help the spouses reach agreements on all or some of their disputes. Divorce mediation is successful because it is based on the following principles:

• Communication
• Fairness
• Flexibility
• Negotiation
• Problem solving
• Privacy and confidentiality

The family court often encourages divorcing couples to try divorce mediation before bringing issues to court. Successful divorce mediation can resolve numerous issues including:

• Spousal/child support
• Child custody/visitation
• Property/debt division

Divorce litigation can drain your finances and your emotional fortitude — especially in divorces involving embittered child custody issues and/or large marital assets that can drag on in court for years. And even once the divorce is over, you can still suffer from the financial and emotional fallout.

In a divorce you have a choice — you can either battle over every issue in court, expending time, money and energy, or you can try mediation. A mediated divorce can offer many benefits, including:

• Reduced legal and court costs
• Quicker problem resolution
• Increased control of problem resolution
• Equal airing of grievances
• Cooperation between spouses
• Co-parenting solutions
• Family issues decided by you rather than the judge

A Pennsylvania mediator can help

A contentious divorce can have devastating effects on you and your family. To discuss how a divorce mediator can help you navigate your divorce, contact us online or call (215) 886-1266 to schedule a consultation.