Litigation can be messy and expensive, which is why many couples turn to mediation to make divorce a little easier. Divorce mediation involves couples who want to settle their own matters working with their own attorneys and a professional mediator.
Typically, this process involves a face-to-face meeting. However, you don’t necessarily have to be in a room with your ex. If they have historically been manipulative or emotionally abusive toward you, direct negotiations and mediation may not be beneficial. Similarly, one spouse explaining the hardships they endured during the marriage might alienate the other and have a chilling effect on the negotiation process.
Thankfully, there is still a way for you to make mediation work in your divorce.
Caucus or shuttle mediation help keep things separate
When you know that face-to-face negotiations will be emotionally difficult or counterproductive, you can look for a professional who has experience providing shuttle or caucus mediation. As the name implies, this system involves the mediator talking to two distinct groups and shuttling back and forth between them.
Rather than getting everyone together in one room, this process involves the mediator going back and forth between two spaces to facilitate the negotiations without direct communication between the spouses or their lawyers. The mediator can speak with one spouse and then leave to talk with the other.
This process can keep emotions from getting too high and can lead to a more successful and neutral outcome to the divorce mediation process. You don’t necessarily have to make compromises about your feelings of safety or your mental health just to move forward with your divorce. Learning more about divorce mediation can help you take control of the process while keeping yourself safe.