Dispute Resolution: A participant's experience of mediation

07 August 2012

Marion Stevenson

Mediator, PPC and Trainer:

This article is based on an extended conversation with a participant regarding her mediation on finances and children's arrangements. The article summarises the participant's views about her experience of the process, which she describes as very challenging indeed. She believes it is likely to be very tough for people to deal rationally with each other and to hear and digest information at a point when a relationship has broken down. The participant describes the main challenges for parties: the emotional turbulence; the prior relationship dynamic; the pressure for resolution; and the uncertainty regarding the legalities. In relation to these challenges, she outlines her views of what is most helpful in terms of the mediator's management of process. Overall, the participant felt mediation offered her benefits that she could not have found through any other process, despite the difficulty and pain of the journey. She describes these benefits.

 

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