Often in family law cases parties tend to be affected by strong emotions.  During family law mediation in Chicago Illinois, the parties will have an opportunity to negotiate and reach a compromise in a friendlier manner that does not bring about the typical anger, resentment and acrimony that result to a court battle.  Family law mediation in Chicago Illinois helps the parties work through these emotions so that they do not cloud their judgment when making important decisions about their family.

Parties to mediation often have the goal of reaching an agreement that they can both live with, even if the end result is not what they originally imagined or fought for.  When there is a lot of conflict between the parties, prolonging the case often causes an escalation of this conflict.  This situation often leads to family disharmony and increasing the likelihood of further problems in the future.  Mediation provides a workable solution to the parties by allowing them to discover a zone of possible agreement by carefully uncovering the interests of the parties and the family at large.

Family law mediation works outside of the judicial system allowing the parties to reach a point of compromise that the court may not order.  The parties have greater flexibility in determining what solutions will work for their particular family given its own unique interests, strengths, weaknesses and dynamics.

Through a facilitative approach, the mediator gives each party an equal opportunity to express their needs.  By better understanding why each party wants a certain outcome, the parties can work toward reaching a mutual goal of settling the case and get past the heavy emotions that may be blocking an agreeable spirit.  Mediators often encourage the parties to think about the root causes for the conflict and to explore possible ways to resolve the conflict.