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  • Tom Darnton
  • Cheryl Barget

Co-Mediation

What is Co-Mediation?

Mediation is a negotiation process conducted with the assistance of a trained facilitator. The guiding philosophy of mediation is that those directly involved in a situation know best how to resolve the matter being negotiated. Mediation as a process works well in many situations and is particularly well suited to the needs of most divorcing couples. Mediation should not be used where one or both parties are practicing addicts or alcoholics, where either party is fearful of his or her physical safety in the presence of t he other or where one of the parties is significantly impaired in the ability to engage in a process which is verbal and intellectual.

Co-mediation is a style of mediation which uses two mediators. Usually, co-mediation is conducted by mediator teams from different professional backgrounds, such as law and psychology. Often the mediator team will include a mediator of each gender as well.

When and Why to Consider Co-Mediation?

Divorce cases usually present a challenging mix of legal and emotional issues. Solutions to this challenge can come more readily when the professionals working with divorcing families bring a mix of expertise regarding these legal and emotional issues to the process. Because of both the additional expertise and the additional energy which co-mediation brings to the mediation room, progress can be made more readily in moderately conflicted cases. Progress can also be made in the more complex or conflicted cases. Cases for which co-mediation should be considered are those cases with moderate to high conflict around the parenting issues and/or cases which present complex property issues.

Windwood Center Mediatiors

Tom and Cheryl bring to mediation knowledge gained from over 50 years of combined experience in resolving family disputes and a patient, even-handed style which encourages mutual respect between the mediators and the parties in mediation. They strive to assist mediating parties to a resolution which is fair (feels balanced to the parties themselves), equitable (meets the legal standards for divorce settlements) and in the best interests of any minor children.

If you would like to know more about how co-mediation might wor k in a case with which you, a client or a patient are connected, simply call Windwood Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan and ask about co-mediation.