What is Mediation?

February 12th, 2024 by Tiffany Hughes

Some of us have heard of Mediation but most do not know what it is. While you are trying to navigate the waters of what options you may have in your divorce case or custody case in Illinois, mediation and the nuances of mediation is something that you should educate yourself about. It could be a great option for you or it may be a total waste of time and money.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a way in which parties to a conflict can resolve their issues without having to formally litigate in front of a Judge. In the area of family law, each judicial district is required to establish a program to provide mediation for cases involving the custody or allocation of parental responsibilities of a child, the relocation of a child, visitation, or parenting time issues, regardless of whether the parties were married. Mediation is a non-binding confidential process where a neutral third party selected by either the parties or the court assists the parties in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.

The neutral third party is tasked with the specific responsibility of identifying the issues, reducing misunderstandings, exploring and clarifying the party’s respective interests and priorities and identifying possible solutions that will satisfy the interests of all parties. While parties can often time choose to mediate their issues rather than going to court for them, there are many situations in which a Court will require mediation before even entertaining an issue in his/her Courtroom.

More specifically, often times a Judge will require the parties to attend mediation when dealing with the initial determination of allocating parental responsibilities and parenting time, modifying parental responsibilities, and relocation of a minor child.  Mediation is often discretionary when the issues are financial in nature, have to do with discovery disputes, or are regarding any other domestic relations issue not involving children. Said discretionary topics are completely dependent on the parties involved in the case.

Mediation can be an excellent way to resolve issues without having to further engage in costly court proceedings if both parties are willing to come to mediation with the purpose of settling or being open to it. As long as both parties are willing to come together and be flexible with the terms of their agreement, Mediation could save you thousands of dollars. Don’t worry about having to attend by yourself or without legal representation. The stress of these sensitive issues can be alleviated by having a lawyer by your side to assist you in collecting the important information, developing your negotiation strategy and utilizing the law throughout the mediation session. The family law attorneys at The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes are well versed in navigating mediation proceedings to ensure that their client’s needs are understood and addressed by the mediator.

Need More Information or Representation?

If you are looking to start or are going through divorce proceedings and need more information regarding mediation, filing for a divorce and/or next steps for preparing for your divorce, give The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. a call today at 773-893-0228 for a confidential complimentary 30-minute phone consultation or email Tiffany Hughes directly at Tiffanyhughes@thugheslaw.com. Our entire practice is solely dedicated to the area of family law. We are highly experienced in helping client’s with simple and complex divorces including high asset, complex matters while protecting privacy and advocating for our client’s best interests.

About Tiffany M. Hughes, Divorce Attorney, Principal, Managing Partner, The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes:

Tiffany M. Hughes is a divorce attorney and Managing Partner of The Law office of Tiffany M. Hughes. Recognized as a Top 100 Lawyer in Lawyers Magazine in 2018 and 2019, Super Lawyer from 2016 to date, and in addition to numerous other accolades, Ms. Hughes represents individuals in all aspects of family and matrimonial law proceedings, including litigation, mediation, allocation of parental responsibility (formerly known as custody), parentage, divorce and other child-related matters.

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This blog is made available by The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of Illinois law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. The website should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in Illinois.  The law changes constantly and we do not go back in time to edit old posts that may be affected by these changes.  If you have any questions about Illinois law, which is the only State this blog and website discusses, please call The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. for a complimentary phone consultation and do not draw any legal conclusions without speaking to a competent attorney in Illinois first.