A Warning for Divorcing Parents

Don't let a judge raise your kids. He doesn't know them or love them like you do.

Let an experienced family mediator help you create your own successful parenting plan and find peaceful legal solutions to your family problems. It's much faster and cheaper than a typical courtroom custody battle. And it's better for your kids.

If you go to court to resolve your divorce and child-custody issues, it can cost you tens of thousands of dollars -- and you will all probably be unhappy with the results. If you mediate instead, you will make all the decisions yourselves -- for a fraction of the time, money, and heartache.

In family law, mediation is especially superior to conventional litigation. At a time in their lives when both parents need to come together and make important decisions for the sake of their kids, our current legal system is designed to drive a bigger wedge between the embattled parties.

Lawyers are advocates for their clients -- one for mom, one for dad -- and no one is really looking out for the unprotected kids, whose needs are the greatest of all.

Egos surpass rationality, tempers flare, and in the gladiator-like arena of the courtroom, everyone loses.

Because emotions run high in contested divorce situations, it's not difficult for lawyers to add fuel to the already raging conflagration. Meanwhile, the meter's ticking, and mom and dad are being pushed further apart, endangering the psychological well-being of their kids.

In short, a terrifyingly unhealthy scenario for the American family.

When Mom and Dad invest a relatively small amount of time and money into retaining a mediator to help them work out agreements themselves, and to prevent them from having to duke it out in the courtroom, then they are far better able to co-parent in a sane and safe environment.

As for the judges, they are more than happy to have you work things out with a mediator, since they really don't want the responsibility for raising kids who already have two parents! And of course it's those kids who benefit most of all.

Be smart! Save your money for your children's education!