Questions You Want Answered > Mediation - An Alternative to Going to Court > How do I know if mediation is right for me?
If the mediation is court ordered, you don't have a choice as to whether to go, so I'm not talking about court ordered mediation here. There are not a lot of situations in which I would say mediation is not right for you, because even if you don't reach an agreement, mediation usually helps narrow the issues of what is actually in dispute, allowing you to resolve the issue at a later time. Mediation is probably not right for you if there is a huge power imbalance in the realtionship, such as in cases of domestic violence or other coercive control. It is also may not be the right choice if there is a large knowledge imbalance, such as when one person has handled all of the finances during the marriage and other has no idea of their financial picture.
Mediation is a good choice:
1. If you have a relationship you want to maintain, such as that of co-parents.
2. If you and your spouse have the ability to compromise.
3. If you and your spouse are able to work together, but need some help overcoming emotional and communication barriers to agreement.
Last updated on September 5, 2013 by Karen Robbins, Attorney at Law