Articles for Everyone
Calming Upset People With EAR
By Bill Eddy | Empathy, attention and respect are the opposite of what you feel like giving someone when he or she is upset and is verbally attacking YOU, but they are what works. People who are very upset generally cannot think well or negotiate constructively. With empathy, attention, and respect, you can help them calm down.
Cleaning out the Garage: A Metaphor for Divorce Mediators
By Ariella Shuster | Metaphorically, deciding what to keep and what to let go of during divorce and experiencing the associated memories and feelings is like cleaning out a long-cluttered garage.
Using ADR Ideas to Negotiate Divorce Agreements
By Larry Gaughan | Adversarial attorneys can learn from mediators about using constructive processes instead of exacerbating competitive, dysfunctional divorce negotiations.
Why Do So Many Family Litigants Not Have Lawyers?
By Rachel Birnbaum and Nick Bala | More and more people who are divorcing do it without a lawyer. This research looks at their reasons and at the anticipated consequences of their decisions.
So Much Polarization
By Donald T. Saposnek, Ph.D. | All these political issues that have become (or continued to be) polarized can be understood within the same conceptual frame as we understand our high conflict divorce cases.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Supports Mediation
By Michael J. Dwyer and Susan A. Hansen | Wisconsin will permit mediators who are lawyers to draft and file all legal documents required to implement mediated agreements on behalf of both parties. Families will benefit from this step.
4 Important Things to Do Before You Say ‘I Don’t’
By Vicki Shemin | Before you give up on your marriage, you may consider marriage mediation, a postnuptial agreement, a trial separation, or exit counseling.
How to Prepare for Divorce Mediation
By Michael Aurit, JD, MDR | Find a well-trained, experienced mediator who devotes much of his/her time to divorce mediation and will help you understand your financial decisions and keep your kids in the forefront.
Prenups Don’t Scream Romance
By Amanda Singer | Prenuptial agreements (prenups) don’t scream romance — probably the last thing that you want to think about when planning a wedding — but smart folks create them.
Your Child’s Graduation After a Divorce
By Virginia Colin | Separate celebrations with two sides of a divorced family get old for some kids and some young adults. Can co-parents celebrate together?
It’s Not Just the Romance that Makes a Marriage Special
By Larry Gaughan | By Larry Gaughan | Sharing, listening, dividing responsibilities fairly, and negotiating are all included in a healthy marriage.
Recognizing Children’s Divorce Behavior Can Prevent Custody Battles
By Michael Aurit, JD, MDR | Parents often misinterpret the ways children act during divorce. These misunderstandings can lead to destructive custody battles. Mediation is constructive.