New at Mediate.com
Mediation in Juvenile Dependency Court: Multiple Perspectives
Since 1992, the Santa Clara County Juvenile Dependency Court has utilized confidential mediation as an integral part of the court process. After hundreds of mediation sessions, we believe it is time for the various participants in the dependency system to reflect on their perspectives on mediation, its strengths, weaknesses, and its future in our court system.
The Exceptional Power of Vision
There are many keys to reaching possible agreement. The list includes, among others, discovering not incompatible interests, soothing a hurt relationship, or finding a common enemy. Uncovering a transcending vision can accelerate and amplify the coming together of contending parties. Vision helps achieve agreement.
Reframing
One of the core skills in the mediator’s tool box is a technique called reframing. Put simply, reframing helps people see something from a different perspective.
Interview with Lisa Parkinson
This is the complete interview by Robert Benjamin with Lisa Parkinson, family mediation leader in the UK and Europe, filmed as part of Mediate.com's 'Views from the Eye of the Storm' Series.
Prenuptial Agreements and the New Tax Law: Is There a Problem on the Horizon?
The message for divorcing couples is clear. If your divorce agreement will include provision for the payment of alimony, deductible to the paying spouse and taxable, as income, to the recipient spouse, you need to have an executed divorce agreement by December 31, 2018.
Spiritual Journeys in a Material World: Thoughts about Spirituality for Divorce Professionals
This article discusses the spiritual struggle that many of our clients are facing and our role to support them and understand their concerns as they go through divorces and other difficult conflicts.
For Those Feeling Generous: A Gift for Clients, Friends - Book Review
I love this book. It reminds us that we can take family law problems to another level, one not taught in law schools: generosity.
Lean into Liminality
This article discusses Shinrin Yoku, Using Nature Forest Therapy as a Restorative Practice.
Lessons from the Iroquois
In our mediation efforts, once we are in the realm of “public policy,” we are inevitably poking our noses into questions of intergenerational equity and “governance” and how authentic collaboration can be achieved or improved.
Leaving Facebook
I was a fan of Facebook from my first login. I registered right after it opened to the public in 2006, and I led most of my friends onto the platform. I am now choosing to leave Facebook.
Lest We Forget
After celebrating ANZAC Day, FairWay’s Denise Evans and Bruce Reid explore the themes of war, conflict, and learning from mistakes of the past.
The Faultlines of the Current Ideological Divide - Part 1
This article discusses the ideological divide looking at conflict from both a mediator's (Part 1) and a therapist's perspective (Part 2).
Mediators Should Have Strategies and Skills to Break Impasses
This article discusses this concept: “Conflict in divorce cannot be resolved if we don't talk to each other.”
Turning Ideas Into Action; Thoughts from Edinburgh
What is unique about those who possess a willingness to walk toward conflict?
Child Dependency Mediation Update
Mediator Randy Drew discusses the success of their multi-mediator approach.
Expectations and Self-Determination
The social capital of any society is education and identity.
Comparative Data on Mediation Websites: Most Visited and Most Linked
According to Alexa.com, Mediate.com is most visited and most linked dispute resolution website. See the new data here!
Employment Arbitration Agreements Reach Epic Status
Employees who contractually agree to resolve employment disputes in an individualized arbitration waive all rights to class actions or any other collective dispute process.
I’m Not Neutral About Neutrality: I’m Partial to Multi-Partiality
Embarking upon the journey of becoming a mediator led me into learning a new language, one that would be spoken both internally – (in how I would think about the mediation participants and their circumstances) - and externally – (in how I would interact with them).
7 Reasons Why You Should Keep Communicating
Miscommunication plagues divorces in numerous different ways.
Interview with Thomas Stipanowich
This is the complete interview by Robert Benjamin with Tom Stipanowich, Co-Director of Pepperdine's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution and former Director of CPR in New York, filmed as part of Mediate.com's 'Views from the Eye of the Storm' Video Series.
Responsibility in Mediation: Who has it? - Part 2
I love mediation because parties get to probe, understand, make choices, create options and arrive at mutual decisions, saying how they feel about this conflict.
Getting a Divorce? Mediate, Don't Litigate.
Getting a divorce? You have options that will allow you to pick the right people to help you do that, but there’s no one size fits all choice.
Disability Mediation : An Overview
This article is to give an over view of the use of disability mediation and a case study. The article will highlight some of the benefits of utilizing specialist mediators, confidentiality and why disability mediation works.
Interview with Andrew Schepard
This is the complete interview by Robert Benjamin with Andrew Schepard, a leading professor, editor and writer of family law and mediation, filmed as part of Mediate.com's 'Views from the Eye of the Storm' Video Series.
“Trusting” the Expert
In its Smarter Living section on April 29, 2018, the New York Times posted an interesting article about how our unconscious biases can play tricks on us when it comes to experts.
Planners are No Long Generalists with a Specialty
There’s recent discussion in urban planning journals about the way professional city planners should be educated today. Having a conversation about planning in advance prevents many community-conflicts down the road.
Responsibility in Mediation: Who has it?
Mediation is a wonderful process and I love mediation but I do not want to see it get more complicated with “what mediators need to do” kinds of stuff.
Top Ten Ways To Protect Your Kids From The Fallout Of A High Conflict Break-Up
Joan is an author, therapist, mediator, and parenting coordinator with four decades of experience working with high conflict parents who are separating.
Interview with Larry Fong
This is the complete interview by Robert Benjamin with Larry Fong, a leading Canadian Family Mediator, filmed as part of Mediate.com's "'Views from the Eye of the Storm' Video Series.
Mediation as a Modern Alternative Dispute Resolution Device - part 2
In the spectrum of the recognized alternative dispute resolutions devices, mediation is perhaps the most flexible device allowing party control of outcomes through a structured process.